Bambusa farinacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms arching; 800–1000 cm long; 35–70 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 20–35 cm long; distally pruinose and pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Culm-sheaths green; hispid; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 10–20 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 8–20 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 4 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 2–5 mm long; pale. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 2–4 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–22 cm long; 10–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. 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.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 20–42 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 5 mm long; glabrous, or sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–3 gemmiferous bracts; 1–3 empty glumes.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–15 mm long; without keel; 18 -veined. Lemma inner surface pubescent (above). Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 13–16 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 5 mm long; yellow; anther tip smooth. Filaments free. Stigmas 3. Styles 0 mm long. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Wong 1996.

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