Triodia angusta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Stolons present. Culms 50–70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; indistinctly veined, or striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 2–3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 15–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous, or scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline, or scarious; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous, or scarious; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; incised 0.15 of lemma length. Palea elliptic, or oblong; membranous, or scarious. Palea keels wingless; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Burbidge 1993.

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