Triraphis mollis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths purple. Culms erect; slender; 10–60 cm long. Culm-nodes purple; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–50 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; 5–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 7–9 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on margin of lemma; ascending; 6–7 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; trigonous; 2–2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Tothill 1992.

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