BAMBOOS OF INDI A

Sinarundinaria
DESCRIPTION
Shrubby bamboo of densely placed culms from sympodial, pachymorph rhizome. Culms 2m high, ca. 3 cm diameter,
hollow, upper part thickly covered with sheaths of fallen leaves, internodes rough, striate. Culm-sheaths deciduous,
sheath light green, strongly ribbed, ciliate along the overlapping margin on the back, glabrous above, sparsely papillose
below and at the base densely hirsute. Leaves ca. 16 cm long and 3.5 cm broad, ovate-oblong, apex acuminate, rounded
at the base with ca. 5 mm long petiole, glabrous margin cartilaginous; midrib prominent; secondary vein 6-7 pairs,
intermediate 7, transverse veinlets many. Leaf sheath striate glabrous, ending in to a ciliate mouth with bristly auricles
on both sides of callus, ligule short. Inflorescence terminal, purple on leafy branches, 20-30 cm long, the pedicels up to
17 mm long, each bearing a many-flowered spikelet. Spikelet ca. 2.5 cm long, glabrous 3-4 flowered and the upper one
empty, each separated by a narrow rachilla, segment flat and glabrous below, empty glumes 2, nearly equal, ciliate on
the margin, 3-5 nerved; palea as long as the flowering glume, ciliate, 2-keeled, apex acute, lodicules 3, obtuse, fimbriate,
3-nerved. One is smaller than the other two. Stamens 3; anthers obtuse, filament short. Ovary glabrous, undivided
with 2 feathery stigmas. Caryopsis 5 mm long with a short beak, embryo basal, one-fifth the length of the fruit, the
hilum linear, extending the entire length of caryopsis in a furrow on the convex side (Soderstrom and Ellis, 1988).
FLOWERING
This species is reported to flower frequently.
DISTRIBUTION
Distributed in Southern India, particularly in Palni Hills. Reported to be endemic to Sri Lanka.
ANATOMY
The transverse section of the leaf shows intercostal long, cells of the abaxial epidermis rectangular, no bulliform cells.
Stomata shape not distinct, three files appear to be present on either side of costal zone; one interstomatal cell present
between successive stomata in a file. Intercostal short cells single with crenate outlines. Papillae conspicuous, darkly
staining, present on all long cells, overlapping stomata and adjacent long cells. Prickles and hooks identical, costal and
intercostal prickles dominate the surface; bases elliptical, associated with short cells. Microhairs narrow and rod-shaped,
common. Silica bodies tall, saddle-shaped, few present on costal zone, apparently absent intercostal zone. Adaxial
epidermis intercostal long cells elongated, rectangular with slightly sinuous walls separated by single or paired short
cells; costal and lateral intercostal files of identical cells, but costal zones recognisable due to underlying fibres, central
files consist of bulliform cells. Stomata absent. Intercostal short cells single or paired, cork and silica cells tall and
narrow but silica cell much smaller than cork cell. Papillae, prickles and microhairs absent. Silica bodies small, tall and
narrow to crescent-shaped, irregular in occurrence in the intercostal zones, present between all costal long cells
(Soderstrom and Ellis, 1988). In root, the epidermal cells radially elongated, walls are thick, larger in size than adjacent
cells. Exodermis thin-walled and iso-diametric, occasionally ruptured. In cortex small intercellular spaces occur between
cells. Endodermis conspicuous due to incomplete ‘U’ shaped thickening. Pericycle consists of one layer. Phloem strands
occur scattered among metaxylem vessels as well as alternating between xylem poles. Protoxylem difficult to distinguish
from pericycle. The ground tissue of stele consists of large thin-walled cells in the centre surrounded by thick- walled
cells in the outer pith (Raechal and Curtis, 1990).
USES
The culms are used for fencing and roofing.
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