Dendrocalamus sahnii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 300 cm long; 20–30 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 8–20 cm long; distally glabrous. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths 15–20 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; coriaceous; hispid; with dark brown hairs; truncate at apex. Culm-sheath ligule 3–5 mm high; lacerate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; 2–2.5 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; 2–3 cm long; dense; 5–9 cm between clusters; with spathaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between branches.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–15 mm long; 4.5–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1-keeled. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 10 mm long; 8 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 10 mm long; purple. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bambuseae. Seeth. & Kumar 2002.

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