Gigantochloa longiprophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 2000 cm long; 60–80 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 30–40 cm long; mid-green; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths deciduous; hispid; with black hairs; concave at apex; auriculate; with obtuse auricles; with 2–3 mm high auricles; setose on shoulders; shoulders with 19 mm long hairs. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; entire. Culm-sheath blade triangular; narrower than sheath; reflexed; 23.5–28.5 cm long; 4.7 mm wide; pubescent (sparsely). Leaf-sheaths puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty; 7–12 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 13–34 cm long; 18–35 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; dense; with spathaceous subtending bracts; bracts 7–9 mm long; with axillary buds at base of spikelet; prophyllate below lateral spikelets; leafless between clusters.

Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 6–9 mm long. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume hairs white. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 9 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs white. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 8–9 mm long; 2-keeled. Palea keels eciliate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren (without palea); lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 6–7 mm long; yellow. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1; pubescent. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Widjaja 2002.

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