Gigantochloa achmadii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–2000 cm long; 50–90 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; 25–35 cm long; light green; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 25–27 cm long; hispid; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 6 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 2–4 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2–3 mm high; fimbriate. Culm-sheath blade ovate; reflexed; 7–9 cm long; 10–20 mm wide. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 20–30 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in compact unilateral clumps; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 14–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs tawny. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma hairs tawny. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 8–11 mm long; 12 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex entire; acute. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2–3 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 6–8 mm long; yellow; anther tip with extended connective and pubescent. Filaments united in a tube; united for 1 of their length. Stigmas 1. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Widjaja 1996.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.