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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.
Saccharum giganteum
HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Culms erect; robust; 130–300 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded (2–6mm hairs). Leaf-sheaths hispid. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 50–100 cm long; 18–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hispid; hairy on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme. Peduncle hirsute above.
Panicle open; oblong; dense; 15–50 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Panicle axis villous.
Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; pilose on surface. Rhachis internodes linear.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels linear; ciliate.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs white; 6–10 mm long; 1–1.2 length of spikelet.
GLUMES Glumes similar; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; light brown; 2-keeled. Lower glume surface flat; pilose; hairy above. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner above; light brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy above. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; acute. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight, or curved; subterete below; 12–25 mm long overall. Palea absent or minute.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate. Anthers 3.
DISTRIBUTION North America: northeast USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Caribbean, Brazil, and southern South America.
NOTES Andropogoneae. Gr Texas 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
