GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Triodia stenostachya

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 100–150 cm long; 1–1.3 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths resinous; medianly thickened; striately veined; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside (except median line). Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 20–40 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading; 7–10 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; scarious; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins in close groups (of 3). Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below; hairy between veins. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; with outer lobes shorter; with linear lobes; acute. Palea linear, or elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–1.75 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Burbidge 1993.

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