Bambusa longipalea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 400–800 cm long; 30–60 mm diam.; woody; with root thorns from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; 25–34 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several. Culm-sheaths deciduous; glabrous; auriculate; with equal auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 8 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 5–10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. 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; 6.5–20 cm long; 5–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–12 secondary veins. 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 7–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 40–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 3.5–4 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure, or one the lower absent or obscure; 0–1 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–11 mm long; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 5 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Lin 2002.

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