Poaceae
Drepanostachyum

Drepanostachyum polystachyum (Kurz ex Gamble) R.B.Majumdar

First published in S.Karthikeyan & al., Fl. Ind. Enum. - Monocot.: 277 (1989)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Himalaya to Assam. It is a bamboo and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; woody. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement with subequal branches. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; lanceolate; 15-20 cm long; 17-25 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 10 secondary veins; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Panicle open; lanceolate. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12-17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; pilose.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12-17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes clavate; pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate; 5-7 mm long; 1-keeled; 5-7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 5-7 mm long; 1-keeled; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 10-12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 5 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 3; veined; ciliate. Anthers 3; anther tip apiculate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 12 mm long; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India.
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: low confidence
[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