Austrostipa exilis

Austrostipa exilis (Vickery) S.W.L.Jacobs
& J.Everett. Telopea 6 :585 (1996).

Classification.
(GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Stipeae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Stipa exilis Vickery,
Telopea 2(1): 13 (1980).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Australia: South Australia: Northern York
Peninsula, Section 155, Hundred of Wiltunga, ca. 140 km NNW of Adelaide, 21 Oct
1966, Copley 799 (HT: AD-9670326).

Key references
(books and floras):
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia
(92), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae
2 (32).

Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (93, fig. 55; plate 3), [2009]. A.Wilson
(ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (31, Fig 4).

Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 40–60 cm tall, 2 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous.
Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Lateral branches simple. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths
antrorsely scabrous, hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.5–2.5 mm long,
membranous, obtuse. Leaf-blades flexuous, filiform, involute or convolute, 5–25
cm long, 0.2–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle linear, 5–20 cm long.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 8–11 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, hyaline, without
keels, 3 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 7–8 mm long, hyaline, without keels,
5 -nerved. Upper glume surface scabrous.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 4.5–5.5 mm long, without keel. Lemma surface indumented. Lemma
apex dentate or lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn from a sinus,
35–55(–60) mm long overall, with a twisted column. Column 15–21 mm long. Palea
without keels. Anthers 3. Grain 3–3.5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria.

Western Australia:
Eucla, Eyre, Roe. South Australia: Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty,
Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. Victoria:
Midlands.

Notes. Heath and scrub on
sandy soil in southern South Australia, barely extending into Victoria and
Western Australia (although not on the Nullarbor Plain).

AVH 2011


Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith