Bambusa arnhemica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 500–1500 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid; arising from lower culm. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–20 cm long; 2.5 times as long as wide; convex at apex; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 3 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; 5 cm long. Leaves cauline; 3–6 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate, or oblong; 8–20 cm long; 7–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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; leafless between branches; 60–80 cm long overall.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes two. Lower glume ovate; 2–3 mm long. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–5 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–8 mm long; without keel; 7 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2–3.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Bambuseae. WDC 2002.

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