Aristida ramosa R.Br. Prodr. 173
(1810).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: R. Brown 6199, Australia: New South
Wales: Central Coast, Port Jackson (BM; IT: BRI, E, K).
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (173), [1878]
G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (563), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley &
D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (132).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(106(27)), [1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (59), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley &
D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (132).
Derivation: L. ramus,
branch; -osa, abundance. Inflorescences or culms much branched.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 37–103 cm tall, 2 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous.
Lateral branches sparsely branched or branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–1
mm long. Leaf-blades straight, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute,
6–12 cm long, 0.6–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous or
indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle lanceolate, 8–27 cm long, 1.5–6 cm
wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 6–14 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1(–3) -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Upper glume
lanceolate, 5.2–10.7 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper
glume surface smooth to scabrous, glabrous. Upper glume apex entire or erose,
mucronate.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 6–14.1 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 3
-awned. Median (principal) awn without a column. Lateral lemma awns present.
Palea without keels. Anthers 3. Grain 5–8.7 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia and Pacific.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Western Australia:
Drummond, Dale. Queensland: Burnett, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Maranoa,
Moreton, North Kennedy, Warrego. New South Wales: North Coast, Central
Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern
Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes,
North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains. Victoria: East Gippsland,
Gippsland Plain, Midlands, Riverina, Volcanic Plain.
Notes. Wetter
areas of eastern Australia from central Queensland to South Australia and one
anomalous collection from the Darling Range in south-west Western Australia.
Also southwestern Pacific. Acacia, brigalow (Acacia harpophylla),
blue-grass downs (Dichanthium spp), Eucalyptus, Eremophila
and Triodia communities, rainforest fringes on clays, redearths, sandy
and alluvial soils. Flowering and fruiting all year.
