Enteropogon paucispiceus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 45–60 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes mid-green, or glaucous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 3–10 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; digitate; unilateral; 6–8.5 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax; regular.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.3–4.8 mm long; 0.75–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 8–11.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets 1(–2) in number; linear, or lanceolate. Apical sterile lemmas acute; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis flattened; concavo-convex; 2–5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Cynodonteae. Lazarides 1995.

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