Sporobolus carolii

HABIT Perennial; short-lived. Culms erect; slender; 30–75 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; effuse; 8–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 1–1.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.75 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 1 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea readily splitting down midline; 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; obovoid; laterally compressed; quadrangular; 0.5 mm long; truncate.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr C Austral 1994.

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