Bambusa burmanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2000 cm long; 100 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen, or solid; 30 cm long; dark green. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 0.9 times as long as wide; green; hairy on margins; convex at apex; auriculate; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule entire. Culm-sheath blade triangular; cordate; acute. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 25–30 cm long; 40–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 25 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 20–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent; hairy above.

GLUMES Glumes two. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume inner surface pubescent. Upper glume mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; without keel. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 5–7 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 3; pubescent. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1995.

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