Bambusa aurinuda

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 800–1100 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; coriaceous; glabrous; glabrous on margins; auriculate; with unequal auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 5–10 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 1–2 mm high. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; cordate; erect; scabrid; acuminate. Leaves cauline; 6–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; curly. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 10–20 cm long; 11–22 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute, or 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 clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 45–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; clavate; 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2 gemmiferous bracts; 1 empty glumes. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 4–4.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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