Aulonemia notata

HABIT Perennial. Culms scandent; 2 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; mid-green and purple; mottled; papillose. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Branch complement one, or two, or three; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 2.5–3.5 cm long. Culm-sheath blade inconspicuous. Leaves 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect and curly; 4–8 mm long; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.3 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades reflexed; lanceolate; 6–8 cm long; 12–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 6–12 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 22–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0–0.4 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 7.5–9 mm long; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 9–10.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 2; 2.7–3.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Judz., Clark & Londono 2014.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.