Poaceae
Drepanostachyum

Drepanostachyum falcatum (Nees) Keng f.

First published in J. Bamboo Res. 2(1): 16 (1983)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Himalaya to Indo-China. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 200-350 cm long; 7-15 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 15-30 cm long. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement three, or several; in an irregular line; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 1 length of internode. Culm-sheath ligule 6-12 mm high. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; 1.2-5 cm long; acute. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.25 cm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 7.5-10 cm long; 5-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Panicle contracted; linear; 4-10 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Racemes 1; single; 4-10 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1-2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 12-18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1-2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 12-18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 8 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 10 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 12 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; ovate; membranous; ciliate. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 12 mm long; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
Reference
Bambuseae. Fl Pak 1993.
[GB]

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]

Common Names

unknown
riorgal

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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