The floral morphology of four Chinese Bambusa species (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) previously described only from vegetative material Author Qin, Qiao-Mei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5745-0235 Guangdong Eco-engineering Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510520, China Author Cai, Zhuo-Yu https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9288-0882 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China & University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China Author Ni, Jing-Bo Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China Author Tong, Yi-Hua https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5034-005X Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China Author Xia, Nian-He https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9852-7393 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China nhxia@scbg.ac.cn text PhytoKeys 2022 2022-11-16 213 143 159 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.213.95614 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.213.95614 1314-2003-213-143 87135033BB3B5B04A9DB74A601EA2EA2 Bambusa cornigera McClure (1940:7) Figs 5 , 6 Holotype. China, Guangdong Province: Guangzhou City, cultivated in Lingnan University Bamboo Garden under BG 1833 (living type, originally from Guangxi, Wuzhou, Cangwu, Changzhou Island, West River, above Wuzhou), 10 September 1933, H. Fung 20712 (US!). Epitype (designated here). China, Guangdong Province: Guangzhou City, cultivated in South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 31 March 2016, Qin & Ni QQM 41 (IBSC!). Description including flowering material. Culms 8-13 m tall, 6-8 cm diameter, basally straight or zig-zag, apically pendulous; internodes 24-28 cm long, slightly curved, basally somewhat swollen, glabrous, plain green, initially slightly white waxy; basal nodes with grey-white sericeous ring-like zones below and above sheath insertion. Branch complement at lower culm nodes with branchlets sometimes specialised into curved, weak thorns; at mid-culm with several branches, central 3 branches dominant. Culm leaf sheath ribbed-striate, with caducous, stiff, appressed, pale hairs above the middle, apex somewhat truncate; auricles equal, oblong, small, margins with fine bristles; ligule up to 3 mm high, entire, margin ciliate; blade erect, triangular to narrowly triangular. Foliage leaf sheath glabrous; auricles absent, without or with only a few bristles; ligule very low; blade lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 12-20 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, abaxial surface pubescent, adaxial surface glabrous. Pseudospikelets fasciculate at each node of flowering branches, linear, sessile, basally subtended by several bud-bearing bracts at base, 2.5-4.5 cm long; florets 10-12, middle 5-7 florets fully developed; prophylls 2-4 mm long, 2-keeled, keels apically sparsely ciliolate; bracts 2-3, lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, glabrous, apically ciliolate, sometimes adaxial surface apex puberulent, apex acute, mucronate or not; rachilla not disarticulating between florets, segments compressed, 2-3 mm long, glabrous, apex slightly ciliolate and flat; glumes 1-2, lanceolate to oblong, 5-7 mm long, glabrous, both surface apex puberulent, obscurely 11-13-veined, apex acute or obtuse, mucronate; lemma broadly elliptic, 10-12 mm long, glabrous, 19-23-veined, apex acute mucronate, calluses no more than 0.5 mm long, glabrous; palea 8-11 mm long, 2-keeled, keels apically ciliolate, 4-6-veined between keels, each side 2-3-veined; lodicules 3, apex ciliate, anterior 2 obliquely oblong, 3-3.5 mm long, posterior one narrower, ca. 3.5 mm long; stamens 6, filaments filiform, anthers yellow, 5-7 mm long, apex apiculate; ovary broadly ovoid, 1-2 mm long, apex hispidulous, style 1, 0.7-1 mm long, stigmas 3, plumose, 4-5 mm long. Figure 5. Vegetative morphology and pseudospikelets of B. cornigera A clumps B young culm C thorny branches at culm base D culm internode E pseudospikelets F culm leaf (abaxial view) G culm leaf (adaxial view) H the distal part of a leafy branch (upper side) I the distal part of a leafy branch (lower side). Figure 6. Floral morphology of B. cornigera A pseudospikelets B prophyll (abaxial view) C rachilla segment D empty bract (adaxial view) E empty bract (abaxial view) F bud-bearing bract (adaxial view) G axillary bud subtended by bract in ( F ) H glume (adaxial view) I glume (abaxial view) J lemma showing margins K lemma (abaxial view) L palea showing margins M back of palea N lodicules O pistil P ovary Q stamen R lemma of subterminal floret S palea of subterminal floret T terminal floret. Drawn by Ding-Han Cui.