Bambusa sesquiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 600 cm long; 40–100 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or setose; 5–10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 12–28 cm long; 25–54 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins, or with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–3 gemmiferous bracts; 3–4 empty glumes; shiny. Upper glume ovate; 7.5 mm long. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; sulcate on hilar side; 8 mm long; hairy at apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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