Gigantochloa serik

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; pachymorph. Culms erect; 1000–1500 cm long; 20–60 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes terete; hollow; 25–45 cm long; mid-green; distally glabrous, or hispid (black hairs). Lateral branches dendroid. Culm-sheaths persistent; 15–17 cm long; hispid; with appressed hairs; with black hairs; auriculate; with obtuse auricles; with 1–2 mm high auricles; glabrous on shoulders. Culm-sheath ligule entire, or ciliolate. Culm-sheath blade lanceolate; narrower than sheath; reflexed; 2.5–13.5 cm long; 6–13 mm wide; pubescent (sparsely). Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or lacking; 1–4 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 1–1.5 mm long; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Collar with external ligule. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 15–27 cm long; 20–34 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Synflorescence bractiferous; clustered at the nodes; in untidy tufts; 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 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 19–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes suppressed between florets. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 10–11 mm long. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume hairs dark brown. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 10–11 mm long. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; 15–21 mm long; chartaceous; without keel. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy all along, or above. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs dark brown. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 12–20 mm long; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren (without palea); lanceolate.

FLOWER Lodicules absent. Anthers 6; 8–11 mm long; red; anther tip apiculate. 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.