Racemobambos pairinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or scandent; pendulous at the tip; 300–500 cm long; 5–9 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 30–40 cm long; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement two, or three, or several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; chartaceous; glabrous; concave at apex; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; spreading, or reflexed. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 7–24 cm long; 15–30 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 7–11 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4–5 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis pubescent on surface.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 45–60 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 7 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume 4–8 mm long. Lower glume surface pubescent. Upper glume 14 mm long. Upper glume surface pubescent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 14–16 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea surface puberulous. 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.