GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Gigantochloa scortechinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–2000 cm long; 60–120 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; distally pruinose (when young). Lateral branches dendroid. Branch complement several, or many; in a horizontal line; with 1 branch dominant; thinner than stem. Culm-sheaths coriaceous; pubescent; hairy throughout; with dark brown hairs; without auricles; setose on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule 10–18 mm high. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; constricted at base; spreading; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 12–35 cm long; 20–50 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in stellate clusters; 2–3.5 cm long; dense; 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 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; 4–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets.

GLUMES Glumes two, or several; 2–3 empty glumes; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 14–16 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 21–27 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy all along. Lemma hairs dark brown. Lemma apex acute. Palea 8–13 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren; lanceolate; 15–17 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 8–9 mm long. Filaments united in a tube. Stigmas 1. Ovary umbonate; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia.

NOTES Bambuseae. Gilliland.

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