Enneapogon polyphyllus

Enneapogon polyphyllus (Domin) N. T.
Burbidge. Proc. Linn. Soc. London 153: 69 (1941).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Pappophoreae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Pappophorum
nigricans
var. polyphyllum Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 20: 381
(1915).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: HT: Mueller s.n., Dec 1855, Australia:
Northern Territory: Victoria River (PR).

Key references
(books and floras):
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1
Gramineae (30), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of
Central Australia
(453), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia
, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses
of South Australia
(336), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley &
D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (241).

Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (31,
Pl. 7), [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3
(Fig. 30K-O), [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia
 (336, Fig. 269), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(241).

Habit. Annual
or perennial. Culms 3–48 cm tall. Lateral branches sparsely branched. Ligule a
fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute or convolute, 1–3 mm wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle linear to elliptic, (1.5–)4–9(–11.7) cm
long, 1–2 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,
oblong, laterally compressed, 4–9 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 9–13 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Lower glume apex muticous
or mucronate. Upper glume ovate, 4–9 mm long, membranous, without keels, 5–7
-nerved. Upper glume surface smooth, indumented. Upper glume apex entire or
erose, muticous or mucronate.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 2–3(–4.2) mm long, without keel, 9 -nerved. Lemma surface
indumented. Lemma apex dentate or lobed, awned, 9 -awned. Median (principal)
awn (2–)4–7(–11.6) mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns present. Lodicules
present. Anthers 3. Grain 1–2 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

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

Western Australia:
Gardner, Fitzgerald, Hall, Dampier. Mueller, Canning, Giles, Helms, Fortescue,
Ashburton, Carnarvon, Austin. Coolgardie. Northern Territory: Darwin
& Gulf, Victoria River, Barkly Tableland, Central Australia North, Central
Australia South. South Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre, Nullabor,
Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Murray. Queensland:
Cook, Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Leichhardt, Gregory North, Gregory
South, Mitchell, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: North-Western
Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains.

Notes.
An extremely widespread and common species, variable in many features, but
distinguished by the structure of its distally crowded sterile florets. E.
intermedius
is closely allied, but more robust and always perennial, with a
differently shaped spikelet and 2 fertile florets.

Probably
the most common Australian species, E. polyphyllus occurs in most parts
of W.A., N.T., S.A. and Qld, and also in NW N.S.W.

 

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