Gigantochloa manggong

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 50–70 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; with small lumen; 31–35 cm long; light green, or mid-green; smooth. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths tardily deciduous; 30–33 cm long; yellow; hispid; with appressed hairs; with dark brown hairs; truncate at apex; auriculate; with 2–4 mm high auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 5 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade triangular; deciduous; erect; 18–25 cm long; 90–110 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths deciduous; hispid. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; erose. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.2–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 27–29 cm long; 30–40 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

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; 7–15 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs 0.5–1 mm long. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 10–14 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 9–11 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 7–11 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

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