Bambusa tsangii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300 cm long; 40–100 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–10.5 cm long; 7–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or 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; leafy between clusters, or leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; curved; subterete; 30–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; clavate; 2–5 mm long; pubescent; hairy at tip.

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; chartaceous; dark green and purple; tipped with last colour; without keel. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 11–13 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. McClure 1996.

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