Capillipedium parviflorum

Capillipedium parviflorum (R.Br.) Stapf. Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 169 (1917).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Micraireae.

Basionym and/or Replacement Name:  Holcus parviflorus R. Br., Prodr. 199 (1810).

Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Australia:,.

Key references (books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (199 as Holcus parviflorus), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (537 as Chrysopogon parviflorus), [1980] M.Lazarides, Tropical Grasses S.E.Asia (25), [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 (178).

Illustrations: [1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses  (83), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (178).

Habit. Perennial. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 50–150 cm tall. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long, 2–7 mm wide.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle of rames. Panicle oblong, 8–25 cm long, 2.5–9 cm wide. Racemes bearing 1(–2) fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis obsolete or evident.

Spikelets. Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 2 in the cluster or 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets developed, containing empty lemmas or male, 2.5–3.8 mm long. 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, lanceolate or elliptic or oblong, dorsally compressed, 2.8–4 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, membranous, keeled, 2-keeled, 6 -nerved. Upper glume ovate, keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline, 0 -nerved.

Fertile lemma without keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex entire, awned. Median (principal) awn 10–16 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea absent. Anthers 3. Grain 1.5 mm long.

Continental Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.

Australian Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales.

Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Burke, Cook, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Wide Bay. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, North-Western Slopes.

Notes. Widespread in Eucalyptus woodlands of subtropical and tropical Eastern Australia and a few records from central NSW, tropical N.T. and W.A. Extends to tropical Africa and Asia. Flowers Nov.--Aug.

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