Gigantochloa atter

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1500–2200 cm long; 50–100 mm diam.; woody; with aerial roots from the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–50 cm long; light green; distally hispid. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 21–36 cm long; hispid; with black hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 3–7 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders; shoulders with 4–6 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 3–6 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade narrowly ovate; deciduous; reflexed. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 20–44 cm long; 30–90 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

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

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 3–6 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs tawny. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 5–8 mm long; 7–10 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex entire; obtuse. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 5 mm long. Filaments united in a tube. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Widjaja 1996.

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