Dendrocalamus pendulus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms leaning; pendulous at the tip; 2000–3000 cm long; 90 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; dark green. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–25 cm long; olive green; pubescent; auriculate; with 3–4 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 15–20 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 5–10 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; narrower than sheath; erect, or spreading; 25 cm long; 80 mm wide; glabrous on surface; acuminate. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or setose; 5–10 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base truncate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.6 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 20–30 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 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes several; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 12 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea chartaceous; 4 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 4 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 1; pubescent. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Holttum 1995.

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