Triodia plurinervata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 3–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins prominent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.75–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 5–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 11–13 -veined. Lemma lateral veins evenly spaced. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; incised 0.1 of lemma length; acute. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. 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.