Bonia solida

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 100–400 cm long; 4–8 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow, or with small lumen, or solid; 25–40 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths pubescent; with appressed hairs; with tawny hairs; auriculate; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 10 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; erect, or reflexed. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 10 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades oblong; 20–35 cm long; 35–60 mm wide. 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 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 7–10 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two. Lower glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; chartaceous; 11 -veined. Lower glume apex mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12 mm long; chartaceous; 11 -veined. Upper glume mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 13 mm long; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 10 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1 mm long; membranous. Anthers 6; 2–3 mm long. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Chia et al 2002.

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