Phyllostachys meyeri

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 1000 cm long; 45 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes semiterete; with small lumen; 35 cm long; distally mealy. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths green and purple; obscurely mottled with last colour; glabrous; convex at apex; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade linear; erect; scabrid. Leaves cauline; 3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 16 cm long; 30 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; dense; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 20–25 mm long; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; with ultimate bract subtending a compact bracteolate fascicle of spikelets; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 10 mm long; chartaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 17 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; chartaceous.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. McClure 2002.

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