Poaceae
Drepanostachyum

Drepanostachyum khasianum (Munro) Keng f.

First published in J. Bamboo Res. 2(1): 18 (1983)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Nepal to N. Myanmar. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 250-400 cm long; 12 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 15-20 cm long; dark green, or black; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many; with subequal branches. Culm-sheaths 15-23 cm long; 4-5 times as long as wide; chartaceous; smooth; concave at apex. Culm-sheath ligule 5-7 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade linear; reflexed; 2.5 cm long. Leaf-sheaths striately veined. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; linear, or lanceolate; 7-10 cm long; 7-8 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 4-6 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Synflorescence on a separate leafless culm. Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary; subtended by bracts. Panicle open. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 10-12 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; pubescent; hairy above.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 10-12 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; pubescent; hairy above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume elliptic; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 4 -veined. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; anther tip smooth. 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. Gamble 1995.
[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]

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 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