Bothriochloa ewartiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pilose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; 6–9 -noded. Culm-internodes channelled. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse, or ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or revolute; 7–15 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–11; digitate; 3.5–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–2.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs 3.5 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Raceme-bases linear; 2–7 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); villous; with 3.5 mm long hairs.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas, or male; lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; as long as fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes without depressions; glabrous. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas enclosed by glumes.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; subacute; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume surface flat; without pits, or pitted; pilose; hairy below. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume margins ciliate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.66 length of spikelet; hyaline. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; geniculate; 17–25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis oblanceolate; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Fl NSW 1993.

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