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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bambusa utilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300–1400 cm long; 20–70 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 15–40 cm long; mid-green; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; in a clump; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; coriaceous; pubescent; with dark brown hairs; hairy on margins; auriculate. Culm-sheath ligule 5 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaves 5–11 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 4–6 cm long; puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; erose; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 10–25 cm long; 12–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 12–18 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 5 mm long; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5 mm long; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 13 mm long; without keel; 17–20 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate; 10 mm long; 13 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea apex truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.8 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 6 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Lin. 2002.

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