Racemobambos multiramosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms leaning; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; scaberulous; distally pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Culm-sheaths deciduous; chartaceous; glabrous; without auricles. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear; 4–9 cm long; 3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–4 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 30–45 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 6–6.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Palea 8–10 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5 mm long. Anthers 6; 4.5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1996.

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