Gigantochloa balui

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1200 cm long; 60–80 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 20–40 cm long; light green; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Bud complement 1. Branch complement one, or two, or three. Culm-sheaths pubescent; with appressed hairs; with white hairs; auriculate; with 2.5 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 4 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading, or reflexed. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

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 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes several; 3–5 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Fertile florets recurved at tip; increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs white. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 9–10 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 4–4.5 mm long; anther tip pubescent and with extended connective. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Wong 1996.

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