Bambusa merrillii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 1800 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base asymmetrical; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 8–10 cm long; 12–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 2 cm long; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes two. Upper glume ovate; 7–8 mm long. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10 mm long; without keel. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 4 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 6 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

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