Poaceae
Phyllostachys

Phyllostachys nigra (Lodd. ex Lindl.) Munro

First published in Trans. Linn. Soc. London 26: 38 (1868)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is China (Guizhou, S. Hunan). It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; leptomorph. Culms erect; 300-700 cm long; 20-40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes semiterete; thin-walled; 4-30 cm long; black; distally pubescent (when young). Culm-nodes with distinct supra-nodal ridge. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement two; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths deciduous; chartaceous; pubescent; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath blade triangular; wrinkled. Leaves cauline; 2-3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs setose; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 6-12 cm long; 10-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence bractiferous; fasciculate; dense; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 10-20 mm long; without axillary buds at base of spikelet; with ultimate bract subtending a compact bracteolate fascicle of spikelets; prophyllate below lateral spikelets. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1-4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 18-25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1-4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 18-25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume oblong; 0.6-0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 19 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 0.5-0.6 length of lemma; chartaceous; 6 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back and on flanks.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; 3.5 mm long; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; 7 mm long. Stigmas 3. Ovary umbonate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central.
Reference
Bambuseae. Lin.
[GB]

Common Names

English
Black Bamboo

Sources

  • 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

    • 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 2023. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. 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