Gigantochloa hosseusii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–17 cm long; 20 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; without cross veins. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

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; leafy between clusters, or leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 15–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 12–14 mm long; ciliate on margins; mucronate. Palea of lower sterile floret 10–12 mm long; pilose; adorned on keels. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 14–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; anther tip with extended connective and pubescent. 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.