Bambusa Schreb.
by W.R. Sykes
Type species: B. arundinacea Retz.
Medium-sized to large bamboos, rarely climbing, with very short sympodial rhizomes forming dense clumps. Culms terete. Culm-sheaths deciduous, broad, triangular, thick; auricles usually present. Branches many at each node, sometimes with branch thorns. Leaf-blades small to medium-sized, usually not tessellate. Inflorescence stems often short, with dense tufts of 1-many spikelets at nodes. Spikelets sessile, 2-many-flowered. Glumes 1-3. Stamens 6. Stigmas usually 3.
Key
1
Culms usually 3-5 m × 1-2 cm diam.; leaf-blade linear-lanceolate, 0.6-1.5 cm wide, abaxially glaucous, puberulent
Culms usually 10-13 m × 4-8 cm diam.; leaf-blade oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, abaxially deep green and glabrous
c. 120 spp. in tropical Asia, Malesia and tropical America. Naturalised spp. 2.
The largest genus of bamboos but little cultivated in N.Z.
