Bambusa gibboides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; drooping at the tip; 1000–1200 cm long; 50–70 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 40–47 cm long; distally pruinose and hispid. Lateral branches dendroid; arising from lower culm. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several, or many; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; pubescent; hairy below; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with unequal auricles; with 2.5–6 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with curved hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2–3 mm high; dentate and ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate, or triangular; narrower than sheath; erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; 13–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 12–18 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy abaxially.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 30–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; flattened; 3–4 mm long; pilose.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2 gemmiferous bracts; 1 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 6–8 mm long. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 10–14 mm long; without keel. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 11–15 mm long; 14–17 -veined. Palea keels pubescent; adorned above. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Fl China 2005.

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