Dendrocalamus velutinus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; pendulous at the tip; 1400–1600 cm long; 100–150 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 27–37 cm long; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid; arising from lower culm. Bud complement 1. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; (23–)45–50 cm long; 1.4 times as long as wide; pubescent; with tawny hairs; hairy on margins; concave at apex; without auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 8–10 mm high; fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; erect; 3.8–7 cm long; pubescent; acute. Leaves (7–)8–9(–11) per branch. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.6–0.7 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 27–52 cm long; 30–110 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with (20–)26–30(–36) secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts (of 3–8(-15) spikelets); with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; with 1-keeled prophylls; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–13 mm long; 4.5–5.5 mm wide; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; 1–2 empty glumes; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 7.1–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11.2–12.6 mm long; 5.8–7.7 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate, or oblong; 7.4–9.8 mm long; chartaceous; 11 -veined; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 6.6–6.9 mm long; yellow; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 1; pubescent. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Xia, Nguyen & Vu 2014.

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