Triodia tomentosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 45–90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or hirsute, or woolly. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate, or woolly; 1–2 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 8–28 cm long; 0.7–1 mm wide; without exudate. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 9–15 cm long; 2.5–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–3 cm long. Panicle axis angular, or flat. Panicle branches angular, or flat.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 8–14 mm long; 3.5–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes. Rhachilla elongation 0.8 mm long. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus 0.7 mm long; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–13 mm long; scarious; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 7.5–10 mm long; scarious, or cartilaginous; without keel; 3 -veined, or 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins evenly spaced, or in close groups. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; hirsute; hairy below. Lemma hairs white, or tawny. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.3 mm long; muticous, or mucronate. Palea linear, or lanceolate; membranous, or cartilaginous. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy at base. Palea apex obtuse, or acuminate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3; 2.5–5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 2.5 mm long; obtuse. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1996.

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