Racemobambos ceramica

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; pachymorph. Culms scandent; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several; in a clump. Culm-sheaths without auricles. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 5–8 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–13.5 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 22–32 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes flattened; 5 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 6.3 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 10 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–8.5 mm long; 3 mm wide; membranous; without keel; 10 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 6.5 mm long; 8 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets distinct from fertile; 1 in number; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Dransfield 2001.

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