Kengiochloa pubiflora (Keng) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia, 2023

Tong, Yi-Hua, Niu, Zheng-Yang, Cai, Zhuo-Yu, Ni, Jing-Bo & Xia, Nian-He, 2023, Kengiochloa, a new bamboo genus to accommodate the morphologically unique species, Pseudosasa pubiflora (Poaceae), PhytoKeys 221, pp. 131-145 : 131

Kengiochloa pubiflora (Keng) Y.H.Tong & N.H.Xia comb. nov.

≡ Arundinaria pubiflora Keng, Sinensia 7: 414, fig. 4. 1936; Yang & Chao, J. Bamb. Res. 13(1): 5. 1994, excl. syn. of Indocalamus pallidiflorus . ≡ Pseudosasa pubiflora (Keng) Keng f. ex D. Z. Li & L. M. Gao in Zhu et al., Fl. China 22: 118. 2006, excl. descr. and syn. of Indocalamus pallidiflorus and Acidosasa paucifolia ; Keng f. in Keng, Clav. Gen. Sp. Gram. Prim. Sin. 154. 1957 & Fl. Ill. Pl. Prim. Sin. 32 & pl. 22. 1959, nom. inval. Type: China, Guangdong, on top of the hill at the rear of Iu [Yao] village, Lung Tau Mt. [Longtou Mountain], 30 May 1924, To & Tsang 12284 (holotype US00130296 (sheet 1) & US00065420 (sheet 2), image!, isotypes US0031360, image!, US00144993, image!, W19390008723, image!, SYS!). Figs 3 , 4B ; also see fig. 150 in Vol. 22 of Flora of China Illustrations (available at http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=95963&flora_id=2).

= Pseudosasa gracilis S. L. Chen & G. Y. Sheng, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 21: 405. 1983; Chen et al., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(1): 658. 1996; Zhu et al., Fl. China 22: 119. 2006. Type: China, Hunan, Yizhang County, Zeping, 6 May 1977, Z. P. Wang, H. R. Zhao & G. Y. Sheng 77004 (holotype NAS, not seen, isotypes N019022078!, N019022079!, N019022080!).

= Yushania lanshanensis T. H. Wen, J. Bamboo Res. 4(2): 13. 1985. ≡ Arundinaria lanshanensis (T. H. Wen) T. H. Wen, J. Bamboo Res. 5(1): 19. 1986. Type: China, Hunan, Lanshan County, Ziliang Township, 1125 m, 17 June 1984, S. Q. Chen CX84860 (holotype ZJFI!, isotypes ZJFI!).

= Arundinaria tenuivagina W. T. Lin & Z. M. Wu, J. S. China Agric. Univ. 11(3): 48. 1990. Type: China, Guangdong Province, Xinyi City, Dawuling, 1400 m, 12 April 1987, Z. M. Wu 0167 (holotype CANT00002410!, isotypes CANT00002408!, CANT00002409!, CANT00002411!, CANT00002412!, CANT00002413!, CANT00002414!, CANT00002415!).

= Pseudosasa parilis T. P. Yi & D. H. Hu in Yi, J. Bamboo Res. 14(1): 20. 1995. Type: China, Jiangxi, Suichuan County, Dabali, 1400 m, 21 November 1991, Q. Hu & D. H. Hu 032 (holotype SAUT, not seen, isotype Herbarium of Ji’an Forestry Institution, not seen).

Description.

Rhizomes amphipodial, internodes terete, 2-2.5 cm long, ca. 2.5 mm in diam. Culms 1.2-2 m tall, up to 8 mm in diam.; internodes terete, 8-24 cm long, green, not powdery, glabrous; wall thick, cavity with woolly or irregularly lamellate pith; supranodal ridge flat, remains of sheath base persistent, sheath scar pubescent or glabrous. Culm buds narrowly ovate. Branches intravaginal, 2-4 at each mid-culm node, base attached to culm. Culm leaf sheaths gradually deciduous or rather persistent, 1/2 to 4/7 as long as internodes, thickly papery, glabrous or sometimes sparsely brown appressed hispidulous, margins ciliolate; auricles absent; oral setae 5-11, lateral 1-4 curved and downward, others straight forward, 6-9 mm long, fragile, base usually adnate; ligule short, less than 0.5 mm, unevenly laciniate, glabrous; blade erect, amplexicaul, striate, broadly ovate-lanceolate, usually longer than sheath, both surfaces glabrous, margins ciliolate, apex acuminate. Foliage leaves 1 to 4 per ultimate branch; sheath 2-4 cm long, upper half more or less white-pilose abaxially, margins ciliolate, glabrescent; outer ligule ca. 0.5 mm long, margin white-pilose; auricles obscure; oral setae present, to 1.4 cm long; inner ligule short, 0.3-1.5 mm; pseudopetiole 1.5-3 mm long, slightly pilose adaxially, glabrous abaxially; blade lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 8-24 × 0.9-2 cm, slightly pilose at base adaxially, hispidulous abaxially, glabrescent, base cuneate, margins serrulate, apex acuminate; lateral veins 4-5 pairs, veinlets conspicuous. The unit of inflorescence of the synflorescence 3-9 cm long; main axis glabrous, flattened on the branching side, basal internode 0.8-1.8 cm long. Paracladia 2-4, 0.4-1 cm long, robust, close to the axis, puberulent or appressed-pubescent at the apex, base without a pulvinus. Spikelets 1.6-2 cm long, stramineous; developed (fertile) florets 1-3, uppermost one rudimentary; rachilla segments thickened upwards, 3-4 mm long, glabrous except the upper part white-tomentose; glumes 2, the lower one lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 7-10 mm long, glabrous at lower part, pubescent towards the apex, apex acuminate; the upper one with the same shape and indumentum as the lower one, 7-12 mm long; callus bearded with white- or grey-tomentose hairs; lemmas ovate, the lowest one 10-12 mm long, densely adpressed-pubescent abaxially, 9-veined, apex acuminate-mucronate; palea 7-8 mm long, apex obtuse, glabrous except the ciliate and strongly curved keels; lodicules 3, ca. 2 mm long, anterior 2 oblong-obovate, posterior 1 spatulate or obovate, rounded at apex, lower part brown-nerved, upper part hyaline and minutely ciliate; anthers 3, pale yellow, 5 mm long; ripe ovary 2 mm long, brownish when dry; styles 2, persistent, ca. 1 mm long, base slightly connate, stigmas very thin, plumose, ca. 3 mm long. Fruit unknown. Description of inflorescence follows Keng (1936).

Phenology.

Culm shoots produced in April to July, flowering in May.

Distribution and habitat.

This species is distributed in Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong, China. It grows under evergreen broadleaved forests at an elevation from 1100-1600 m.

Chinese name.

以礼竹 (pinyin: yĭ lĭ zhú).

Additional specimens examined.

Kengiochloa pubiflora : China. Guangdong: Ruyuan County, Tianjingshan, 4 May 1978, Z. P. Wang & S. T. Liu 780047 (N019022073, N019022074, N019022075, N019022076); Shixing County , Longtou Moutain , elev. 1131 m, 25 April 2021, Z. Y. Cai & X. H. Ye czy-146 (IBSC); Xinyi City, Mianbeiding, 20 April 2020, N. H. Xia, Y. H. Tong, J. B. Ni, S. J. Zeng & B. M. Wang XNH-63 (IBSC) . Hunan: Yizhang County, Mang Mountain , elev. 1600 m, 4 July 1964, B. M. Yang 026501 (N019022077) . Jiangxi: Suichuan County, Dabali , 22 April 2022, C. Long BH-148 (IBSC); ibid. 13 November 2022, C. Long s.n. (IBSC). Indocalamus pallidiflorus : CHINA. Guangdong: Longmen County, Nankun Mountain , 12 April 1932, W. T. Tsang 20216 (SYS00095376, US 00065467 (image), US 00312706 (image), US 00312707 (image)); ibid., 18 April 2018, X. R. Zheng, J. B. Ni & Y. Y. Zhang zxr-145 (IBSC). Indocalamus sinicus : CHINA. Hongkong: hill sides, C. Wright s.n. (K00092161 (image)); without precise locality, Hance s.n. (K00092162 (image), K00092163 (image)) .

Figures

Figure 3. Kengiochloa pubiflora A habitat B habit C leptomorph rhizome and pluricaespitose culms, the arrow showing an internode with a bud D culm leaf, the arrow showing the junction of sheath and blade E culm leaf oral setae F intravaginal branching G prophyll of primary branch H three young branches at a node I foliage leaf branch. Photos by Y. H. Tong.

Figure 4. Culm buds of three bamboos A Indocalamus sinicus B Kengiochloa pubiflora C Sinosasa sp. Photo A by Xi-Rong Zheng, B, C by Zhuo-Yu Cai. Scale bars: 1 cm (A, C); 5 mm (B).