Sporobolus australasicus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base broadly rounded. Leaf-blades 3–6 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; tuberculate-ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or pyramidal; 7–12 cm long; 4–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes; simple, or sparsely divided; 1–2.5 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; subterete; 1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1 mm long; membranous; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea readily splitting down midline; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 0.75 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr C Austral 1994.

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