Bambusa oldhamii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1600 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 17–20 cm long; light green. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one, or two, or three. Culm-sheaths 7.5 cm long; glabrous. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect, or spreading; 0.6 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5.5 cm long; 12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 10–12 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in oblong clusters; 7–11 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 24–26 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes several.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–11 mm long; without keel. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface pubescent, or hirsute. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip with extended connective and pubescent. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Australasia: New Zealand. Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Bambuseae. Camus 1996.

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