Dactyloctenium buchananense

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 8–40 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 3–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 8–12; digitate; closely spaced; in a head; unilateral; 0.4–0.6 cm long; 2.5–3.5 mm wide. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate; extension 0–2 mm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.3–0.7 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–3.2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins more or less parallel. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea with flaps as wide as body. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis ellipsoid, or oblong; obtuse, or acute.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Australia 2006.

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