Aulonemia

Aulonemia is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to Central America from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Description

These are short to medium bamboos; with pachymorphic rhizomes. Stems weakly woody, cylindrical, fistulous; branches one per node, often as thick as the main stem. Stem leaves with persistent, pseudopetiolate sheaths, with external and internal ligules; oral setae absent or present; blades reflexed, deciduous. Leaves of the pseudopetiolate branches, with external and internal ligules, the internal one membranaceous; oral setae usually present, rarely absent; blades broad, generally ovate, sometimes lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate. Inflorescence an open panicle. Monocarpic, simultaneous flowering. Pedicelate spikelets, with 2 to numerous florets; disarticulation above sterile florets and between fertile ones; glumes 2; lower florets 1-2 sterile, rarely fertile; fertile florets 1-several, bisexual; rachilla usually ending in a sterile floret; lemmas 7-13-veined, acute or ridged; lodicules 3; stamens 3; stigmas 2. Fruit a caryopsis; linear thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Justin Goudot and published in Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanical, ser. 3 5: 75. 1846. The type species is: Aulonemia queko Goudot.

Selected species

• Aulonemia cingulata McClure et L. B. Sm.
• Aulonemia fulgor Soderstr.
• Intermediate anaemia McClure et L. B. Sm.
• Aulonemia jauaensis Judz. " Davidse
• Aulonemia longiaristata L. G. Clark et Londoño
• Husbandemia L. G. Clark et Londoño
• Robust aulonemia L. G. Clark et Londoño