Gigantochloa dinhensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms woody. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches dendroid. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; obtuse. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.1–0.2 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 11 cm long; 15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 16–18 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; 1–1.5 cm long; 1–5 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; 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; 3–5.5 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary umbonate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Lecomte 1996.

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