Triodia basedowii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 40–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel; woolly. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; 5–10 cm long; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–8 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 9–13 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 9–13 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9–15 -veined. Lemma lateral veins evenly spaced. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with ovate lobes; incised 0.66 of lemma length; obtuse, or acute. Palea oblong, or obovate. Palea keels scabrous. 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.