Melocalamus arrectus
Melocalamus arrectus T. P. Yi, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 10 (4), 1988: 440.
Chinese name: 澜沧梨藤竹 (lán cāng lí téng zhú).
Distribution: CHINA (South): southern Yunnan, in forests at 700–1,900 m altitude.
Culm size: Length 10–15 m, diameter 2–4 cm.
Descriptions:
(1) " … internodes 20–40(–60) cm, initially pubescent; wall rather thick; nodes prominent, each with a ring of white powder and tomentum below. Branching from 2nd to 3rd nodes upward, 1–3 dominant, to 8 m. Culm sheaths pale brown, ca. 1/3 as long as internodes, leathery, appressed pubescent, apex truncate; auricles minute; oral setae few, deciduous; ligule ca. 1 mm, ciliate; blade erect, triangular or ovate-triangular. Leaf sheaths glabrous; ligule ca. 1 mm; auricles absent; oral setae absent to 2, minute; blade lanceolate, 12–22 × 2.2–4 cm. … [flowers and seeds described]." — Flora of China [#1303].
(2) "… caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms scandent; 1000–1500 cm long; 20–40 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 15–60 cm long; scaberulous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes swollen; glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one, or two, or three. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 10–14 cm long; 1.6 times as long as wide; coriaceous; pubescent; with appressed hairs; glabrous on margins; truncate at apex; without auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 1 mm high; ciliate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; erect; 1.6–14 cm long; 17–40 mm wide; pubescent (at base). Leaves 5–8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 5–12 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2 cm long; petiole glabrous. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–22 cm long; 22–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 12–18 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate. … [flowers and seeds described]." — Kew GrassBase [#1335].
Images: Two line drawings in Flora of China (1) and (2) [#1303].
Comments:
(1) A living plant received from China and labeled "Melocalamus arrectus" (BS-0006) turned out to be a different species, possibly → Melocalamus scandens.
(2) Seeds were offered by FMXG, Yunnan, China, as "Melocalamus arrectus, 澜沧梨藤竹 (lán cāng lí téng zhú)", collected in southern Yunnan in May 2012; seeds were ordered by Bambusetum Baan Sammi but not received. Seed viability is unknown and is assumed to last at least several weeks. Seed weight of 1 seed ≈ 24–27 g.
Melocalamus arrectus: Seeds (left), one seed cut half (right) — by courtesy of Lihua Jiang, Yunnan Bamboo, China