Aulonemia chimantaensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes without obvious supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10–20 mm long; dark. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 11–14 cm long; 15–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 5–15 cm long; antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 22–28 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 6–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 9–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 13–40 mm long; 1.8–2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–6 mm long; membranous; purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; (6–)8–10 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 7–9 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.9–1 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.3 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Bambuseae. Jud. & Davidse 2001.

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