Racemobambos rigidifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms leaning; 5–7 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–50 cm long; yellow, or light green; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths deciduous; chartaceous; glabrous; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule ciliate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; reflexed; 15 cm long. Leaves cauline; 8–18 per branch. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–25 cm long; 30–40 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; bracteate at pedicel base.

Racemes 1; single; paucilateral; 20 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 8 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. 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.