Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino. Bot.
Mag. (Tokyo) 26: 214 (1912).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Phalaris
hispida Thunb. Fl. Jap. 44 (1784).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Thunberg 1776, Japan (UPS (IDC 1036)).
Recent synonyms:
Arthraxon ciliaris P.Beauv.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (524 as Arthraxon
ciliare), [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (as A.
ciliaris), [1980] M.Lazarides, Tropical Grasses S.E.Asia (21),
[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
(134).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(112), [1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (63), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley &
D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (134).
Derivation: L.
bearing coarse stiff hairs. Plant wholly or partly rough to the touch.
Habit. Annual.
Culms sprawling, stature slender to delicate, 15–75 cm tall, 0.3–1 mm diam.
Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths hairy. Ligule a fringed membrane, a
ciliolate membrane, 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate or ovate, 1–6 cm
long, 4–25 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence subdigitate, with ramose branches. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets represented by barren pedicels. Fertile spikelets
2-flowered, the lower floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile,
comprising 1 basal sterile florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without
rachilla extension, linear or lanceolate, laterally compressed, 3–8 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate,
chartaceous, much thinner on margins, without keels, 7–9 -nerved. Lower glume
surface glabrous. Upper glume lanceolate, chartaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, 3
-nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant
palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 66 % of length of spikelet, hyaline or
membranous, 2 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2–6 mm
long, without keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex dentate or lobed, muticous or awned,
1 -awned. Median (principal) awn dorsal, 0–20 mm long overall, with a straight
or slightly twisted column or with a twisted column. Palea absent. Anthers 2.
Grain 3.5–5 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific,
and North America.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Darling Downs, Moreton, Wide Bay. New South Wales: North Coast, Northern
Tablelands.
Notes. Fringes
of rainforests and wet Eucalyptus forests of coastal SE Qld and northern
N.S.W. Extends through New Guinea to India, and Japan. Flowers Mar.--July.
