Gigantochloa parviflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow. Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement many. Leaves 8 per branch. Leaf-sheaths 7 cm long; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; truncate. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base cuneate, or broadly rounded; with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, or oblong; 16–28 cm long; 35–40 mm wide; light green and glaucous; discolorous with last colour beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 14–16 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in globose clusters; 6–9 cm between 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; 10–15 mm long; 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; 2–3 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–14 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 4–6 mm long; yellow; anther tip with extended connective and pubescent. Filaments united in a tube; 8 mm long. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bambuseae. Keng 1996.

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