GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bambusa copelandii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2000 cm long; 16–19 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 25–45 cm long; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 38 cm long; 0.9 times as long as wide; pubescent; with yellow hairs; convex at apex. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or ovate; 33–38 cm long; 45–80 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 1–4.5 cm between clusters; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25–38 mm long; 5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 7 mm long; purple; 12 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 12 mm long; purple; 22 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; without keel; 24 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 13 mm long; 3–5 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 8 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Filaments 15 mm long. Stigmas 1; plumose. Styles 15 mm long. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Tewari 1996.

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