Aulonemia prolifera

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph (amphipodial, rooting from decumbent culm). Culms decumbent, or scandent; 150–1000 cm long; 3–8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; solid; 8–35 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one; solitary. Culm-sheaths 5.5–12 cm long; glabrous; hairy on margins; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 1.2–4.5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 0.4–0.8 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or ovate; constricted at base; reflexed; 6.3–12.5 cm long; 10–33 mm wide; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths 5–14 cm long; papillose; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; (10–)25–65 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.5 cm long; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 13–27 cm long; 21–53 mm wide; chartaceous. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; oblong, or pyramidal; (6–)12–23 cm long; (4.5–)11–25.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–17 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 17–42 mm long; 2–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5–8.5 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes two; 2 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 4.2–6.3 mm long; membranous; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 7.2–8.5 mm long; membranous; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8.5–12.8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7–9(–11) -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 9.2–12.8 mm long; 7–8 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on back. Palea apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 5 mm long; yellow. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Bambuseae. Vianna & Filg. 2014.

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