Sinobambusa incana

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 500–1000 cm long; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes channelled; hollow; light green; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three; in a horizontal line; with subequal branches; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths pubescent; hairy below; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule ciliate. Culm-sheath blade linear, or lanceolate; erect; glabrous on surface. Leaves cauline; 2–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 7–8 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 5–8 cm long; 7–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; lax; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 40 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 90 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume 11–13 -veined. Upper glume 11–13 -veined.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea chartaceous; 11 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Arundinarieae. Wen 1996.

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