Heteropogon triticeus (R.Br.) Stapf ex
Craib. Bull. Misc. Inform. 432 (1912).
Classification.
(GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Andropogon
triticeus R. Br. Prodr. 201 (1810).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: T: Australia.
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (201 as Andropogon
triticeus), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (517 as Heteropogon
insignis), [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (108),
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 100–160 cm tall, 4–8 mm diam., 80–300 -noded. Mid-culm
internodes solid. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches branched or
fastigiate. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1 mm long, membranous,
truncate. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, 20–80 cm long, 3–16 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a rame. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 2 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed, 16–40 in number. Companion
spikelets developed, containing empty lemmas or male, asymmetrical, 18–25 mm
long. Companion spikelet glumes muticous. 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, terete, 10–15 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, hyaline or
coriaceous, without keels, 5–9 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper
glume linear, coriaceous, without keels, winged on margins, 3 -nerved. Upper glume
surface indumented. Upper glume apex muticous. Florets. Basal sterile
florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100
% of length of spikelet, hyaline or membranous, 0 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 5 mm
long, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex entire, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn
70–140 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea absent. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland.
Northern
Territory: Darwin
& Gulf, Victoria River. Queensland:
Burke, Cook, Leichhardt, Mitchell, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South
Kennedy, Wide Bay.
Notes. Eucalyptus
forests and woodlands of northern and eastern Australia
through SE Asia to India.
Flowers Dec.--Oct.
