Bambusa

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent (1), or short (136), or elongated (2); pachymorph (138/138). Culms erect (112/123), or geniculately ascending (4/123), or arching (2/123), or leaning (1/123), or scandent (4/123); 76–1057–3000 cm long; woody; without nodal roots (71/94), or with aerial roots from the nodes (11/94), or with root thorns from the nodes (26/94). Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes flush with internodes (21/32), or swollen (11/32); without obvious supra-nodal ridge (2/2). Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one (5/103), or two (4/103), or three (15/103), or several (76/103), or many (21/103); in a clump (19/19); with subequal branches (5/47), or 1 branch dominant (39/47), or 3 branches dominant (3/47); thinner than stem (16/16). Culm-sheaths persistent (4/99), or tardily deciduous (5/99), or deciduous but leaving a persistent girdle (2/99), or deciduous (89/99); without auricles (17/117), or auriculate (101/117). Culm-sheath blade inconspicuous (1/123), or lanceolate (26/123), or narrowly ovate (18/123), or ovate (16/123), or triangular (79/123); constricted at base (10/42), or narrower than sheath (15/42), or as wide as sheath at base (7/42), or cordate (10/42). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (81), or erect (10), or falcate (56). Ligule an eciliate membrane (119), or a ciliolate membrane (18), or a ciliate membrane (6). Leaf-blade base without a false petiole (1), or with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath (138). Leaf-blades persistent (131), or deciduous at the ligule (11); filiform (1), or linear (19), or lanceolate (125), or oblong (21), or ovate (3). Leaf-blade midrib evident (3/21), or conspicuous (18/21). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (127), or with obscure cross veins (8), or with distinct cross veins (6). Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous (1/1).

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous (77/77); paniculate (1/77), or clustered at the nodes (76/77); in globose clusters (2/76), or stellate clusters (1/76), or oblong clusters (4/76), or untidy tufts (69/76); with glumaceous subtending bracts (58/73), or spathaceous subtending bracts (15/73); with axillary buds at base of spikelet (77/77); leafy between clusters (6/43), or leafless between clusters (36/43), or leafless between branches (3/43).

Fertile spikelets sessile (2/2).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–6–13 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension (2/77), or with a barren rhachilla extension (2/77), or with diminished florets at the apex (73/77). Spikelets linear (17/77), or lanceolate (47/77), or elliptic (2/77), or oblong (4/77), or ovate (15/77); laterally compressed (58/77), or subterete (19/77); 3.32–24.97–75 mm long; breaking up at maturity (77/77); rhachilla deciduous (76/77), or rhachilla persistent (1/77); disarticulating below each fertile floret (75/76), or above glumes but not between florets (1/76); shedding paleas (1/1). Rhachilla internodes definite (74/74); glabrous (57/74), or sparsely hairy (2/74), or pubescent (10/74), or pilose (6/74). Floret callus glabrous (1/1).

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure (1/76), or one the lower absent or obscure (8/76), or two (29/76), or several (45/76); persistent (41/41); shorter than spikelet (40/40). Lower glume oblong (1/22), or ovate (21/22); 0.7–0.75–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous (1/5), or coriaceous (4/5); without keels (6/6); 7 -veined (1/7), or 9 -veined (3/7), or 10 -veined (2/7), or 11–12 -veined (3/7), or 13 -veined (2/7), or 14 -veined (1/7), or 15–17 -veined (2/7). Lower glume surface without pits (71/71); glabrous (69/71), or pubescent (2/71). Lower glume apex obtuse (2/14), or acute (12/14); muticous (19/22), or mucronate (3/22). Upper glume lanceolate (2/32), or ovate (30/32); without auricles (75/76), or auriculate at base (1/76); 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous (1/2), or coriaceous (1/2); without keels (3/3), or 1-keeled (1/3); 7 -veined (1/5), or 9–10 -veined (2/5), or 11 -veined (3/5), or 12–13 -veined (2/5), or 22 -veined (1/5). Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins (1/1). Upper glume surface smooth (75/76), or scabrous (1/76); glabrous (74/76), or pubescent (2/76). Upper glume apex obtuse (2/17), or acute (14/17), or acuminate (1/17); muticous (27/32), or mucronate (5/32).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (17/76), or elliptic (2/76), or oblong (2/76), or ovate (61/76); chartaceous (5/6), or coriaceous (1/6); without keel (75/77), or keeled (2/77); wingless (77/77); 7–17–32 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure (3/3), or distinct (1/3). Lemma surface smooth (76/77), or scabrous (1/77); unwrinkled (77/77); without grooves (77/77); glabrous (75/77), or pubescent (1/77), or pilose (1/77). Lemma margins eciliate (56/77), or ciliolate (9/77), or ciliate (13/77). Lemma apex obtuse (7/72), or acute (55/72), or acuminate (7/72), or attenuate (1/72), or cuspidate (2/72), or apiculate (4/72); without ornament (74/77), or scabrous (1/77), or pubescent (2/77); muticous (61/77), or mucronate (15/77), or awned (1/77); 1 -awned (1/1). Palea 1–1.005–1.1 length of lemma; membranous (75/77), or chartaceous (1/77), or coriaceous (1/77); 3–10–18 -veined; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels (1/77), or 2-keeled (76/77). Palea keels separated (75/77), or approximate (1/77), or contiguous above a sulcus (1/77); wingless (75/77), or winged (2/77); smooth (75/77), or scabrous (2/77); eciliate (21/77), or pubescent (3/77), or ciliolate (24/77), or ciliate (30/77). Palea surface glabrous (65/77), or puberulous (2/77), or pubescent (4/77), or pilose (7/77), or hirsute (1/77). Palea apex entire (2/6), or dentate (5/6). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (67/73), or distinct from fertile (7/73); 1 in number (7/7); male (1/5), or barren (4/5); rudimentary (4/6), or linear (1/6), or elliptic (1/6).

FLOWER Lodicules absent (4/77), or 2 (3/77), or 3 (71/77); membranous (67/67); glabrous (13/73), or ciliate (60/73). Anthers 3 (1/77), or 6 (76/77), or 7 (1/77). Stigmas 1 (6/75), or 2 (13/75), or 3 (67/75); plumose (70/77), or sparsely hairy (2/77), or pubescent (6/77), or retrorsely barbellate (1/77). Ovary unappendaged (28/77), or umbonate (49/77); glabrous (7/54), or with a few apical hairs (3/54), or pubescent on apex (45/54).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (51/51); fusiform (1/12), or ellipsoid (2/12), or oblong (5/12), or ovoid (4/12), or obovoid (1/12); apex rostrate (1/1). Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa (4), or Temperate Asia (86), or Tropical Asia (71), or Australasia (5), or Pacific (9), or North America (1), or South America (5).

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