Aulonemia hirtula ( Pilger 1921: 445 ) McClure (1973: 56)

Pérez, Iván Jiménez, 2016, Taxonomic identity of “ Tocoro ”, a large hollow bamboo from Yungas of Bolivia (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Aulonemia), Phytotaxa 263 (1), pp. 68-72 : 71

Aulonemia hirtula ( Pilger 1921: 445) McClure (1973: 56)

Distribution and ecology: —Also occurring in Ecuador and Peru, in Bolivia this species is distributed in the center of La Paz department (Nor Yungas province) and northern Cochabamba department (Chapare province), between 2560 and 3300 m. It is also recorded in southern Peru ( Brako & Zarucchi 1993) and probably occurs further north of La Paz department, but has not been collected there yet. It grows in the upper and middle parts of humid montane forests, usually in disturbed forests, gap forests and along watercourses. It generally grows with one or more species of Chusquea or with Aulonemia boliviana Renvoize (1998: 39) , and is frequent along the Sillutinkara prehispanic path. Its flowering cycle is between 10 to 11 years, and flowering is gregarious. Between 1983 and 1984 the populations in Bolivia (see the samples of S. Beck, J. Solomon and De Michel cited below) and Peru (see the sample of D.N. Smith 7805 in Tropicos) flowered almost simultaneously.

Comments: — Aulonemia hirtula differs from A. herzogiana by having thin and numerous branch complement vs. thick and few ( Figs. 1K, L ), few fimbriae in the mouth of sheath foliage vs. numerous fimbriae in the mouth and upper margin of the sheath foliage ( Figs. 1G, H ), narrow lanceolate blades vs. wide lanceolate blades ( Figs. 1E, F ), short panicles of 11.5–15 cm long vs. large panicle of 24–30 cm ( Figs. 1K, L ) and mucronate spikelet vs. awned spikelet ( Figs. 1I, J ). See also Table 1.

Specimens examined: — BOLIVIA. Cochabamba: provincia Chapare, near the top of the descent to Chapare between Pachacti and Colomi, 3000 m, 11 June 1994 (fl), J. Wood 8484 ( K not seen, LPB, MO not seen, US not seen). La Paz: provincia Nor Yungas, camino La Paz-Coroico, pasando Chuspipata , 2900 m, 14 April 1983 (fl), S. Beck 9141 ( K not seen, LPB) ; idem, Chuspipata, ca. 2 km sobre la Ecovía (antigua ferrovía planificada) hacia SW, después subiendo la cresta, 3250 m, 10 June 2007 (veg), S. Beck et al. 29888 ( LPB) ; ídem, Chuspipata , cañada que baja del pueblo de Cotapata, antigua vía férrea, 3150 m, 22 September 1983 (fl), De Michel 246 pp ( ISC not seen, K not seen, LPB, MO not seen) ; idem, 22 September 1983 (fl), De Michel 247 ( ISC not seen, K not seen, LPB, MO not seen) ; idem, PN-ANMI Cotapata, sendero Chojllapata , después de pasar el campamento minero, 16º15’S, 67º52’W, 3303 m, 5 August 2012 (veg), I. Jiménez et al. 5641 ( LPB) ; idem, 16º15’S, 67º52’W, 3133m, 14 April 2013 (veg), I. Jiménez 5839 ( LPB) ; PN-ANMI Cotapata, sendero Sillutinkara , 16º17’S, 67º53’W, 3228 m, 16 December 2014 (veg), I. Jiménez 6652 ( LPB) ; idem, 3176 m, 22 May 2015 (fl), I. Jiménez 6826 ( LPB) ; idem, camino Ecovía-Coroico Viejo , 16º18’S, 67º44’W, 2560m, 20 November 2015 (fl), I. Jiménez 6925 ( LPB) ; idem, 1.6 km NW of Chuspipata , 16º18’S, 67º49’W, 3100 m, 26 August 1983 (fl), J. Solomon 10694 ( K not seen, LPB, MO not seen, US not seen) ; idem, 1.4 km SE de Chuspipata, on road to Chulumani , 16º18’S, 67º49’W, 3000 m, 17 August 1983 (fl), J. Solomon 10709 ( LPB) ; idem, Cotapata ca. 11 km NE of Unduavi, 16º18’S, 67º51’W, 3100 m, 22 December 1983 (fl), J. Solomon & M. Moraes 11436 ( LPB, MO not seen, US not seen) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphological comparison of Aulonemia herzogiana (left side of pairs) with A. hirtula (right side). A. and B. Both species have short internodes. C. and D. Both species have reflexed culm leaf blades. E. and F. Foliage leaves are wide in A. herzogiana vs. narrow in A. hirtula. G. and H. Fimbriae in the mouth of sheath foliage are numerous in A. herzogiana vs. few in A. hirtula (I. Jiménez 6555, 6652). I. and J. Spikelets are awned in A. herzogiana vs. awnless in A. hirtula. K. and L. Branch complement and synflorescence are thick and large respectively in A. herzogiana vs. few and short in A. hirtula (I. Jiménez 6555, 6826). Scale bars = 25 cm for K, 14 cm for L. Photographs by I. Jiménez-Pérez.