Bambusa griffithiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 10–17 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 25–38 cm long; 50–75 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 26–34 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; antrorsely scabrous.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; subterete; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7 mm long; without keel. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; eciliate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; linear; 5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 3; plumose. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1995.

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