Gigantochloa holttumiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 30–55 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 50–60 cm long; mid-green; distally pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths auriculate; with 0.5–2.5 mm high auricles; ciliate on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 10–25 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; spreading, or reflexed. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; hairs tawny. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 5–12 mm long; dark. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1.5 mm long. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 4–8 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–30 cm long; 25–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially.

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; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–18 mm long; 3–5 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. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 11–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma hairs white. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 11 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–2 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 7–8 mm long; yellow; anther tip apiculate. 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.