Bambusa speciosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms geniculately ascending; nodding at the tip; 500–1000 cm long; 43–50 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 25–30 cm long; mid-green. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; in a clump; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 20–25 cm long; 2 times as long as wide; coriaceous; pubescent; with white hairs; convex at apex; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 2–3 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading, or reflexed; 2–3.5 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaves 6–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 4–5 cm long; pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; 1–3 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.05–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–15 cm long; 10–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6–8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 2–4 cm long; open; 2–7 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 10–20 mm long; 5–10 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes several; 1–4 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; coriaceous; without keels; 11–17 -veined.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–11.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 13–21 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy at base. Lemma hairs tawny. Lemma apex acute. Palea oblong; 5–10 mm long; coriaceous; 5–7 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 6; 3–4 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Filaments free. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 5–6 mm long; hairy at apex; apex rostrate.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Sungkaew et al 2009.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Rhachilla elongated, up to 5mm, between first and second florets.

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