Triodia desertorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 40–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades spreading; aciculate; conduplicate; 4–10 cm long; 2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 15–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus 1.5–1.7 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 10–13 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 9–13 -veined. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 11–15 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 8–9 -veined. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 11–13 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 11–16 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; shorter than principal. Palea 5–8 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl W Austral 1994.

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