Aulonemia herzogiana

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 : 69-71

Aulonemia herzogiana (Henrard in Herzog 1921: 75) McClure (1973: 56)

Distribution and ecology: —Endemic Bolivian bamboo, restricted to the cloud forests of the Eastern Andes slope, distributed southeast of La Paz (Inquisivi province) and west of Cochabamba (Carrasco province), between 3050–3275 m; however, it can grow to 1850 m in Santa Cruz in the M. Caballero province (E. Judziewicz pers. comm.). It grows on steep slopes of ravines, and forms pure stands or grows with other bamboos, such as Chusquea spp. Its flowering cycle is 10 or 11 years, and flowering is gregarious. The last flowering event in the Choquetanga community occurred three or four years ago (2010 or 2011), and old fertile inflorescences still remained in the floor forest of Choquetanga Chico community (Inquisivi province, La Paz).

Comments: — Aulonemia herzogiana and A. queko are morphologically similar and closely related. They have leaves of similar shape and dimensions, long paniculate synflorescences ( Table 1), robust hollow culms, dimorphic nodes, and reflexed and fimbriated culm leaves ( McClure 1973, Renvoize 1998, Judziewicz et al. 1999, Judziewicz et al. 2010, Judziewicz & Clark 2011). It is possible that A. herzogiana is an extreme of A. queko (E. Judziewicz pers. comm.).

Judziewicz & Tyrrell (2007) noted the presence of this species in Peru; however, the revised specimen cited (D.N. Smith 7805 MO) corresponds to A. hirtula .

Specimens examined: — BOLIVIA. Cochabamba: provincia Carrasco, 107 km antigua carretera Cochabamba- Villa Tunari , 17º10’S, 65º38’W, 3050 m, 24 June 1996 (veg), M. Kessler et al. 6661 pp ( ISC not seen, LPB) . La Paz: provincia Inquisivi, Choquetanga, comunidad Villa San Juan , pasando el río Chakajawira en dirección a Choquetanga Chico, 16º 47’S, 67º22’W, 3067 m, 15 November 2014 (veg), I. Jiménez et al. 6539 ( LPB) ; ídem, Choquetanga, comunidad Choquetanga Chico, bajando por el sendero en dirección al río Chakajawira , 16º47’S, 67º23’W, 3275 m, 16 November 2014 (veg, fl), I. Jiménez 6555 ( LPB) ; ídem, “río Pavionani”, between the Cuchiwasi camp at 3300 m at the Pavionani fork of the río Chimu , 2 km downstream from where its headwaters meet the divide with río Jankho Kalani ; 7 km NNE of Choquetanga , 16º47’S, 67º17’W, 3100 m, 15 April 1992 (veg), M. Lewis 38699 ( LPB) .