Triodia concinna

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; 3–7 cm long; 0.7–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 4–8 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; 5–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous; disarticulating obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4.5–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4.5–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; incised 0.1 of lemma length; acute. Palea lanceolate, or elliptic. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Burbidge 1993.

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