Taxonomy: Plantae > Tracheophyta > Liliopsida > Poales > Poaceae > Bambusa > B. vulgaris

Description: Caespitose and perennial. Rhizomes are pachymorph and short. The culms are 1500–2000 cm in length and 40–100 mm in width, woody and without nodal roots. The culm internodes are hollow and cylindrical. One bud complement, three branch complements or several, arranged in a clump, with one dominant branch, thinner than stem. The culm sheaths are deciduous, with dark brown hairs, hispid, ciliate on shoulders and auriculate. The culm sheath ligule is 5–8 mm in height. The culm-sheath blade is 5–15 cm in length, ovate blade, pubescent and acute. There are 8–9 leaves per branch. The leaf sheaths are hairy. The leaf sheath oral hairs covered with cilia like structures (ciliate), auricles are falcate. Ligule is an enciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole like connection to the sheath and base is broadly rounded. There is a brief petiole like connection to the sheath. The leaf blades are 15–30 cm long; 18–45 mm wide and lanceolate. Margins of leaf blade margins scabrous. The leaf blade apex is hardened and pointed. Inflorescence: The synflorescence is clustered at the nodes, bractiferous, in untidy tufts, with spathaceous subtending bracts, dense, 1–3 cm in length, prophyllate below lateral spikelets, with axillary buds at the base of the spikelet and leafy between clusters. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex, comprising 4–12 fertile florets. Laterally compressed, below each fertile floret it is disarticulating, oblong spikelets which break up at maturity, 10–20 mm in length. Rachilla with definite internodes. Glumes: Shorter than spikelet, persistent, similar. Lower glume is 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume, coriaceous, without keels. The upper glume is 0.5 times the length of the adjacent lemma (fertile one), without keels, ovate and coriaceous. Florets: fertile lemma is 9–11 mm in length, without keel, with 11–15 veins and ovate. The lemma margins are hairy above and ciliate. The lemma apex is acute, palea is oblong with six veins and once the length of the lemma. The palea keels are ciliate and wingless. The apical florets resemble florets but are sterile and underdeveloped. Flower: The anthers are six in number and 5mm in length. Stigmas are two to three. Lodicules are three and membranous. The ovary is umbonate. Fruit: Pericarp is adherent to caryopsis.

Flowering and Fruiting: Once in their lifetime

Uses: Folk medicine, as food and for basketry

Cultivation: Cultivated.

References

http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

https://indiabiodiversity.org