Ehrharta juncea

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Stolons absent, or present. Culms rambling; 50–100 cm long; wiry. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 3–7 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; 2–5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined; emarginate. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 5 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; emarginate. Fertile lemma ovate; 5 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 1 -veined; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 4; 2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Ehrharteae. Tothill.

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