Dendrocalamus asper

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2000 cm long; 120 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; 40–50 cm long; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 40–50 cm long; pale green; pubescent; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 7 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 5 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 7–10 mm high; fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade linear; narrower than sheath; reflexed; 25 cm long; 35 mm wide; acuminate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long; entire, or erose. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 10–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 6–9 mm long; 4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; 1–2 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea chartaceous; 4–7 -veined; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back and on margins; hairy above. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 3.5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 1; pubescent. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1995.

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