Bambusa beecheyana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 600 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 26–30 cm long; glabrous. Culm-sheath ligule 4 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; 6 cm long; 30 mm wide; acuminate. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 15–25 cm long; 20–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in oblong clusters; 1.5–2 cm long; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; obscured by lemmas.

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; without keel; 18–20 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4 -veined. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6. Stigmas 2, or 3. Ovary umbonate.

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

NOTES Bambuseae. Munro 2001.

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