Bambusa lapidea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–1700 cm long; 65 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; green and purple; distinctly mottled with last colour; glabrous; convex at apex, or truncate at apex; auriculate; with unequal auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 4 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath blade triangular; demarcated but persistent; erect; with ciliate margins; acute. Leaves cauline; 3–12 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate; curly; pale. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; scaberulous on abaxial surface. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 6–29 cm long; 5–32 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with 8–20 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. 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; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 2–4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; comprising 2–4 gemmiferous bracts; 0–1 empty glumes.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8.5 mm long; without keel. Lemma lateral veins obscure, or distinct. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5 mm long; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; 4 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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