Gigantochloa pruriens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 60–120 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 40–60 cm long; dark green, or glaucous; distally hispid. Lateral branches dendroid. Buds or branches absent from lower quarter of culm. Branch complement several; with 1 branch dominant. Culm-sheaths deciduous; 15–30 cm long; hispid; with dark brown hairs; auriculate; with 6 mm high auricles. Culm-sheath ligule 2 mm high; dentate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate, or narrowly ovate; reflexed; 11 cm long; 25 mm wide. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; erose. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.3–0.4 cm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 24.5–38 cm long; 20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in compact unilateral clumps; 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 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12–14 mm long; 4 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; 4–7 mm long. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 8–14 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma hairs tawny. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 7–12 mm long; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on margins. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1.5–3 mm long; ciliate. Anthers 6; 6–8 mm long; yellow; 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.