Triodia racemigera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 100–120 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; pubescent, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. 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 borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 2–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 40–50 cm long. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with lanceolate lobes; incised 0.33 of lemma length. Palea lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. 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.