Poaceae
Bambusa

Bambusa balcooa Roxb.

First published in Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 2: 196 (1832)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1600-2000 cm long; 75-150 mm diam.; woody; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; thick-walled; 40-45 cm long; dark green. Culm-nodes swollen; pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches present on lower quarter of culm. Culm-sheaths 25-35 cm long; 1.1 times as long as wide; hairy on margins; truncate at apex; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade triangular; 15-20 cm long; pubescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pubescent; hairs white. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; deciduous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 15-30 cm long; 25-50 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 14-22 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; retrorsely scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; dense; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7-15 mm long; 5-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7-15 mm long; 5-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes several; 0-2 empty glumes; persistent; shorter than spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 6-7 mm long; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; membranous; veined; ciliate. Anthers 6; anther tip with extended connective. Stigmas 3; plumose. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: south. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: northwestern and north-central.
Reference
Bambuseae. Gamble 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images