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Descriptions

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

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

Dendrocalamus minor

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 150–300 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 15–18 cm long; 40–55 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 20–24 secondary veins; with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 11–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma orbicular; 9–11 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 6–8 mm long; chartaceous; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back and on flanks. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 5 mm long; yellow; anther tip with extended connective. Filaments free. Stigmas 1. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; hairy at apex; apex rostrate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 2002.

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