Bambusa clavata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms drooping at the tip; 1000–2000 cm long; 45–90 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 20–40 cm long; distally pruinose. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Bud complement 1. Branch complement three, or several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 20 cm long; 0.6 times as long as wide; pubescent; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 5–10 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs; shoulders with 3–5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2–15 mm high; fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; 10 cm long; 200 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; erect, or spreading; 2–5 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous.

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; with 1-keeled prophylls; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 32 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 1–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 3 gemmiferous bracts; 0–1 empty glumes.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5–19 mm long; purple; without keel; 11–13 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 4–15 mm long. Palea keels wingless; ciliate; adorned all along; with hairs 0.5–1 mm long. Palea surface scaberulous (on flanks); pilose; hairy on margins; hairy above. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped, or distinct from fertile; if distinct rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3–7 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 8–10 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate, or penicillate. Filaments free. Stigmas 2–3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Stapleton 1995.

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