Bothriochloa bunyensis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; wiry; 2–4 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–12 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; digitate; spreading; 5–10 cm long; bearing 5–12 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; glabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear; 7–8 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; 7–8 mm long; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); ciliate.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by single glumes; linear, or lanceolate; 12–13 mm long; longer than fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes 7 -veined; glabrous; scabrous on margins.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 8–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base obtuse; attached transversely. Spikelet callus hairs 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 13 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface flat; scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 4 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline. Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 20–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea lanceolate; 1 mm long; hyaline. Palea apex erose.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Simon 1993.

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