Shrubby bamboos. Rhizomes short necked, pachymorph. Culms unicaespitose, to 4 m tall, distally pendulous; internodes terete, glabrous, cavity not filled with pith; nodes raised. Mid-culm branch buds very broadly ovoid, bud scale open at front, branch sheathing reduced, very many branch initials visible in 2 ranks. Branches very numerous and congested; branchlets initially 8–16 in 2 or 3 rows, later to 80, verticillate, subequal, slender. Culm sheaths deciduous, narrowly triangular, papery, adaxially scabrous inside apically, apex narrowly acuminate with distally concave edges, blade subulate. Leaves small-sized, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, delicate, matte, transverse veins absent. Inflorescence ebracteate, interrupted falcate panicles and dense clusters on leafy or leafless flowering branches. Spikelets delicate, 2–6 flowered, followed by a sterile floret, pedicel curved, short to long. Glumes 2, membranous. Lemma longer than second glume, leathery, many veined, acuminate; palea equal to or shorter than lemma, 2-keeled, obtuse; lodicules 3, transparent. Stamens 3; filaments free, long exserted; anthers yellow. Ovary appendage absent; style 1; stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis grainlike, narrow. New shoots summer–early autumn.

Taxa incertae sedis

Drepanostachyum exauritum W. T. Lin, J. Bamboo Res. 11(1): 30. 1992.

无耳镰序竹 wu er lian xu zhu

Rhizome sympodial. Culms erect, 3–4 m, 10–15 mm in diam.; internodes cylindrical, 7–18.5 cm; nodes flat; sheath scar slightly prominent. Branches many, one dominant, with a few, smaller ones 1–1.5 mm in diam.; buds 3. Culm sheaths yellow-brown setose; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule ca. 5 mm, margin laciniate; blade reflexed, linear, glabrous, involute. Leaves 5 or 6 per ultimate branch; sheath glabrous; auricles and oral setae absent; ligule ca. 1 mm, blade linear-lanceolate, 10–17.5 × 1.4–2.5 cm, abaxially white pubescent, adaxially gla-brous, secondary veins 6- or 7-paired, transverse veins obscure. Inflorescence unknown.

● Guangxi (Guilin).

This species was based on an incomplete type specimen (Z. M. Wu 58902, CANT), which has not been seen. From the description and illustration, it seems that it might be a species of Ampelocalamus, having a prominent branch and lateral ones, developed culm sheath blades, and growing in a limestone area. However, the erect culms suggest a different genus altogether, possibly Dendrocalamus. In addition, Drepanostachyum naibunensoides W. T. Lin & Z. M. Wu (J. S. China Agric. Univ. 13(2): 84. 1992) was described from Guangdong.

About ten species: subtropical Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal; at least four species (all endemic) in China.

(Authors: Li Dezhu (李德铢); Chris Stapleton)