Gigantochloa felix

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 900 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 6–16 cm long. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement one. Culm-sheaths glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 12 cm long; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–4 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.4–0.7 cm long; petiole glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 30–45 cm long; 45–60 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 20–26 secondary veins; with obscure cross veins, or with distinct cross veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; 4–5 cm long; 15 cm between clusters; with glumaceous subtending bracts; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters; 250 cm long overall.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 16–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two, or several; 1–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3 mm long. Lower glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 9 mm long. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 11–17 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 11–15 mm long; 2-keeled but the uppermost without keels. Palea keels puberulous. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 4–7 mm long; anther tip apiculate and penicillate. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Keng 2002.

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