Yushania bomdilaena H.B. Naithani

Naithani, Harsh B., Meena, Rajendra K., Bhandari, Maneesh S., Deka, Bibhuti, Barthwal, Santan & Ginwal, Harish S., 2024, Yushania bomdilaena-A New Species of Bamboo from Arunachal Pradesh, India, Phytotaxa 644 (2), pp. 171-176 : 174

Yushania bomdilaena H.B. Naithani , sp. nov.

Diagnosis:—Allied to Yushania pantlingii (Gamble) Majumdar (syn. Arundinaria pantlingii Gamble ), differs by lower nodes bearing circle of recurved stiff roots; internodes striated purple and green in lower half; culm-sheaths blade without bristles at the mouth proper, ligule of culm-sheaths entire.

Description:—Erect shrubby bamboo, 2–4 m tall, with distinct sympodial culms. Lower nodes raised, bearing circle of recurved stiff roots; internodes striated, purple and green in lower half, 15–22 cm long up to 6 cm in girth at base, higher up rather thin; branches chiefly from the upper nodes, many, middle branches slightly thicker than others. Culm sheaths thin, glabrous on both surfaces, up to 20 × 3–6 cm, veins prominent, upper portion with faint transverse veinlets; imperfect blade recurved, 8–10 cm long, 8 mm broad near the narrower base, glabrous on both surfaces; ligule prominent, 2 mm high, entire. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 5–18 cm long, 5–15 mm broad, narrowed at both ends, base slightly oblique; petiole up to 4 mm long; main vein prominent, pale shining; secondary veins 4 at each side of main vein; transverse veinlets inconspicuous; sheath striate, glabrous, without bristles at mouth; ligule broad. Inflorescence not seen ( Figure 1 & 2 ).

Type:— INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh: West Kameng district, Bamdila, near Salari village, 9.5 km after Bamdila on Tawang Road, 27°18’9.38”N, 92°25’15.68”E, 2229 m, 14 December 2022, R.K. Meena & M.S. Bhandari, 106, Acc. No. 173965 (Holotype DD!) .

Distribution:—Endemic to West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Habitat:—Hill slope of wet evergreen temperate forest.

Etymology:—The taxon is named to the place Bomdila (Bomdi La), Head Quarter of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh, famous for China-India war 1962.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Herbarium specimen (Holotype DD) deposited at Herbarium Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

FIGURE 2. Morphological features of Yushania bomdilaena recorded at the site of natural occurrence: a) clumps in natural habitat, b) clump structure, c) young growing culm, d) node with recurved stiff roots, e) internodes striated with purple and green, f) culm-sheath with recurved imperfect blade, and g) leaves.