Dendrocalamus longispathus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1800 cm long; 60–100 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots, or with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 25–60 cm long; glaucous, or grey; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Culm-sheaths persistent; 35–50 cm long; 2–3 times as long as wide; chartaceous; hispid; with dark brown hairs; concave at apex; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule dentate, or fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed; 25–40 cm long; 25–35 mm wide; pubescent; acuminate. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; hairs dark brown; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–30 cm long; 25–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 16–20 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in oblong clusters; dense; 1.3–3.8 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafy between clusters, or leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes; suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume obovate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous; 4 -veined; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea surface puberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1; pubescent. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gamble 1996.

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