Capillipedium spicigerum

Capillipedium spicigerum S. T. Blake. Univ. Queensland Dept. Biol. Pap 2(3): 43 (1944).

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

Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Australia: Queensland: Moreton Dist., 2 June 1940, S.T. Blake 14267 (HT: ?; IT: L, US-1865562).

Key references (books and floras): [1980] M.Lazarides, Tropical Grasses S.E.Asia (26), [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: [1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland (146), [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 100–150 cm tall. Lateral branches simple. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long, 5–8 mm wide.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle of rames. Panicle lanceolate or ovate, 10–25 cm long, 5–7 cm wide. Racemes 3–8 cm long, bearing 3–8 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.

Spikelets. Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets developed, containing empty lemmas or male, 2.5–4 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, linear or lanceolate or oblong, dorsally compressed, 3–4.2 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, membranous, keeled, 2-keeled, 8–9 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume ovate, keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 50–75 % of length of spikelet, hyaline, 0 -nerved.

Fertile lemma without keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex entire, awned. Median (principal) awn 12–18 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea absent. Anthers 3. Grain 1.7–2.8 mm long.

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

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

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

Notes. Widespread in Eucalyptus forests and woodlands of tropical, subtropical and rarely temperate eastern Australia. One record from N.T. Extends to New Guinea, the Philippines and New Caledonia. Flowers Nov.--Sept.

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