Dimeria ornithopoda Trin. Fund. Agrost. 167 (1820).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: India.
Key references (books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (523 as Dimeria tenera), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (298), [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (81), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Illustrations: [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (299, Pl.87).
Habit. Annual. Culms erect, 5–50 cm tall. Mid-culm nodes pubescent or bearded. Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths hairy. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 0.5–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades linear or lanceolate, 0.5–7 cm long, 0.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous, indumented.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence digitate, with spicate branches.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Companion spikelets absent. 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, laterally compressed, (1–)2–3(–4.5) mm long.
Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear or lanceolate, membranous or chartaceous, much thinner on margins, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, membranous or chartaceous or coriaceous, without keels, wingless, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or scabrous. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline.
Fertile lemma 0.8–2.5 mm long, without keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex dentate or lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn from a sinus, 4–9 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Column 1.5 mm long. Palea absent. Anthers 2.
Continental Distribution: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, and Pacific.
Australian Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia: Gardner, Fitzgerald. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Burke, Cook, North Kennedy, Port Curtis.
Notes. Occurs in seepage areas and wet sites generally from tropical Australia. Extends to India and Japan. Flowers Apr.--Sept.
