Bonia tonkinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 2000 cm long; 10–12 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; brown. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base truncate; without a false petiole. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–18 cm long; 12–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins undulate; smooth. Leaf-blade apex 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.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 1 mm long. Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes two. Upper glume oblong, or ovate. Upper glume lateral veins obscure.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–8 mm long; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea oblong; 1 length of lemma; 6 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous. Anthers 6; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Lecomte 1996.

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