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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Triodia contorta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 70–100 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths without exudate; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with simple hairs, or tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.8–1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–15 cm long; 0.8–3 mm wide; stiff; without exudate. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 14–21 cm long; 3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–6 cm long. Panicle branches angular; scabrous; glabrous, or pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long. Floret callus glabrous; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3.5–4.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.2 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; villous; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; curved; 8–12 mm long overall. Palea membranous; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliate; adorned above. Palea surface pilose; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.8 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides.

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