Dendrocalamus menglongensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; pendulous at the tip; 1000–1200 cm long; 80–100 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 20–35 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths persistent; 10 cm long; coriaceous; hispid; hairy throughout; with dark brown hairs; concave at apex, or truncate at apex; without auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 10 mm high; ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; reflexed; 3 cm long; hispid; acuminate. Leaves 6–10 per branch. Leaf-sheaths pruinose; smooth. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blade base cuneate; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 20–39 cm long; 30–45 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between branches; 80–120 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–11 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea ovate; chartaceous; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules absent, or 1. Anthers 6; 5–7 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. Filaments 3–4 mm long. Stigmas 1; purple; plumose. Styles 2–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 2–4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Lin & Guo 2011.

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