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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Triodia aurita
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culm-internodes brown. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2 mm long. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.3 mm long. Leaf-blade base with a brief petiole-like connection to sheath; petiole 0.5 cm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 12–25 cm long; 1.2 mm wide; stiff; without exudate. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 5–10.5 cm long. Panicle axis angular. Panicle branches capillary; with prominent pulvini.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–12 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–13 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes terete; 1–2 mm long. Floret callus 0.3 mm long; bearded. Floret callus hairs 2 mm long; 0.33 length of lemma.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, or oblong; clasping; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; without keels, or 1-keeled; keeled above; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 4–5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keels, or 1-keeled; keeled above; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex emarginate; mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or obovate; 5–6 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein with contiguous subsidiary veins; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.5 mm long; mucronate. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 1.2 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; hyaline. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; 3.2 mm long.
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.
