Entolasia stricta (R.Br.) D. K.Hughes. Bull.
Misc. Inform. 331 (1923).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
strictum R. Br., Prodr. 190 (1812).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: "Apud Portum Jackson, inclusis ripis aestuarii
Hunter's River vel Coal River.", Robert Brown 1802–05, Banks?.
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (190 as Panicum
strictum), [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea
(89), [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 (244).
Illustrations:
[1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (131), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley
& D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (244).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, short. Culms geniculately ascending or decumbent
or sprawling, 20–80(–120) cm tall, wiry, 4–10 -noded. Mid-culm internodes
glabrous or hirsute. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule a fringe
of hairs, 0.2–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades involute, 0.5–10 cm long, 1–7 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface scaberulous or scabrous, glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 2–9, erect, 2–7 cm long,
bearing 2–10 fertile spikelets on each (secondary). Central inflorescence axis
2–10 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. 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, elliptic or
oblanceolate, dorsally compressed, 2.25–3.7 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 0–1 -nerved. Upper glume elliptic, 2.25–3.6 mm long, herbaceous, without
keels, 5 -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or asperulous. Upper glume apex
mucronate. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant
palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, herbaceous, 5
-nerved.
Fertile lemma 2.25–3.5
mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented. Palea 2 -nerved.
Continental
Distribution: Tropical Asia and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Queensland:
Burnett, Cook, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, Wide Bay,
South Kennedy. New South Wales: North Coast,
Central Coast,
South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern
Tablelands, North-Western Slopes. Victoria:
East Gippsland, Gippsland Plain.
Notes.
Diagnostic features include spikelet length and the relative length of the
upper floret.
New Guinea. In
tropical heaths, tropical and subtropical rain forests, tropical and
subtropical wet sclerophyll forests, temperate wet sclerophyll forests, dry
sclerophyll forests, Brigalow forests, tropical and subtropical sub-humid
woodlands, and temperate sub-humid woodlands. Occurs in forested areas of
eastern Australia and
extends into New Guinea.
Flowers throughout the year.
Similar to E. whiteana by having incurved to involute leaf blades, whereas E. marginata and E. minutifolia have leaf blades that are flat. Furthermore the upper lemma is longer than in these species. It differs from E. whiteana by having shorter spikelets.
