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.

Austrofestuca eriopoda

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 50–90 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 10–25 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 30–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–3 -nate. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–10 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; villous. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume linear; 7–8 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–8 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex erose, or dentate; 2 -fid; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2–3 -fid; truncate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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