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 bunicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 50–100 cm long. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 11–30 cm long; 0.7–1 mm wide; without exudate. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; dense; 15–18 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–2 cm long. Panicle branches flat; eglandular, or glandular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–20 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 13–20 mm long; 4–10 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.8–2 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus bearded; truncate. Floret callus hairs 2–3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 8.5–14 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume oblong; 8.5–14 mm long; scarious; 1-keeled; keeled above; 3–9 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins in close groups. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; glabrous, or hirsute; hairy at base. Lemma margins scabrous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.2–0.3 mm long; muticous, or mucronate. Palea linear, or lanceolate; cartilaginous. Palea keels thickened; scabrous; adorned above. Palea surface hirsute; hairy below. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1 mm long; fleshy. Anthers 3; 4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1996.

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