Gastridium phleoides (Nees & Meyen) C. E. Hubbard. Kew Bull. 9: 375 (1954).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Poeae.
Basionym and/or Replacement Name: Lachnagrostis phleoides Nees & Meyen, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 19. Suppl. i.146 (1843).
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Chile, Valparaiso: Meyen (B holo, LE).
Key references (books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (222), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (269), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (239).
Illustrations: [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (221, fig. 167), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (269), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (241, Fig.34).
Habit. Annual. Culms erect or decumbent, 10–60 cm tall. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 2–7 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.5–15 cm long, 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle lanceolate to oblong, dense, 4–18 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), with a barren rachilla extension, oblong or cuneate, laterally compressed, 4.3–5.5(–8) mm long.
Glumes. Glumes similar, firmer than fertile lemma, shiny. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 3.6–5 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved.
Florets. Fertile lemma 1.1–1.5 mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented. Lemma apex erose, muticous or awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn dorsal, 4–6(–8) mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers 3.
Continental Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Australasia, and Pacific.
Australian Distribution: Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria.
Western Australia: Dale. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. New South Wales: Central Tablelands. Victoria: Grampians, Midlands, Volcanic Plain, Wannon.
Notes. Introduced. Native of the Mediterranean, now naturalised in New Zealand, the Americas and southern Africa. Uncommon, a weed of disturbed areas preferring f;at, low-lying sites or near watercourses. Flowers Oct.-Feb. Fruits unknown.
