Racemobambos hepburnii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms leaning, or scandent; 8–9 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 25 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 17.5 cm long; chartaceous; smooth; glabrous; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; deciduous; reflexed. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6–12 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 13–25 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 3–7 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis glabrous on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 30–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 5 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Palea 8–9 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 6. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Bam Sabah 1996.

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