Ectrosia agrostoides Benth. Fl.
Austral. 7: 634 (1878).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Chloridoideae. Cynodonteae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: ST: Armstrong s.n., Australia: N. Australia,
Port Essington
ST: Drummond s.n.,
Australia: W. Australia (K).
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (634),
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Illustrations:
[2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig.
77C).
Habit. Annual.
Culms erect or geniculately ascending, stature slender to delicate, 9–40 cm
tall, 1–3 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparsely
branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
Leaf-blades erect, filiform, convolute, 1–9 cm long, 0.2–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface scaberulous, glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear or lanceolate, loose, 2–12 cm
long, 0.5–2.2 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1 or more flowered, with 1 fertile
floret, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex,
linear or lanceolate, laterally compressed, 2–3 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper
glume lanceolate, 1–2 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 1–2 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma
apex entire or dentate or lobed, mucronate or awned, 1 -awned. Median
(principal) awn 0.2–1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers 3. Grain 0.6 mm
long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia and Pacific.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia:
Gardner. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook,
North Kennedy.
Notes.
Endemic; occurs in the Kimberley, W.A., the northern part of the N.T. and on
the E coasts and offshore islands of the N.T. and Qld. Also on Aru Is. in the
Moluccas. Known from shallower sandy soils, with Melaleuca, Casuarina or
Eucalyptus, and other grasses.
