Bambusa fruticosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms 100 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 10 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 15–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 11–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9–11 mm long; without keel. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 4 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 4.5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1996.

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