Triodia aeria

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms erect; 45–50 cm long; 1–2 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes ridged; scaberulous. Lateral branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths ribbed; smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 0.7–2 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7–1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades spreading, or reflexed; filiform; conduplicate; 2–7 cm long; 0.7 mm wide; without exudate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 7–15 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5–1 cm long. Panicle axis terete, or angular, or flat. Panicle branches terete, or angular, or flat.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–8 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed, or subterete; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes. Rhachilla elongation 0.6 mm long. Rhachilla internodes terete; 1.3 mm long. Floret callus 0.6 mm long; bearded.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious, or cartilaginous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth, or scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; scarious, or cartilaginous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; indurate; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy all along. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy all along. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn recurved at base of limb and briefly coiled at base of limb; 5–8 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; 2–4 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea oblong; 4.5 mm long; cartilaginous, or indurate. Palea keels thickened; scaberulous; adorned above; with 0.33–0.5 of their length adorned. Palea apex scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1996.

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