Iseilema fragile S. T. Blake. Proc.
Roy. Soc. Queensland
49: 85 (1938).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: IT: S.T. Blake 11545, 19 May 1936, Australia: Queensland:
Burke District
(AD, K, L, NSW, NT, PERTH, US-2959127).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (349, Pl. 102).
Habit. Annual.
Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 10–20 cm tall. Lateral branches
branched. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane or a
fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 0.75 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or
conduplicate, 3–7 cm long, 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, composed of rames.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 2 in the
cluster. Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale (vestige of
pedicel & spikelet), 4 in number. Companion spikelets developed, comprising
2 unequal glumes without lemmas or comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas
or containing empty lemmas or male (1 developed, 1 reduced), 0–4.2 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,
lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 7 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, cartilaginous,
without keels, 8 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, coriaceous, 3 -nerved. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower
sterile floret hyaline. Fertile florets female.
Fertile lemma 5 mm
long, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex dentate, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn
from a sinus, 16–18 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Column 7 mm long.
Palea absent. Grain 3.75 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern
Territory, Queensland.
Western
Australia: Gardner.
Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf, Victoria
River, Barkly Tableland. Queensland:
Burke, Gregory South, Mitchell, Warrego.
Notes. Grows in
cracking clay soils in the Kimberley,
the Victoria R. region, the Barkly Tableland and Gulf Country and a few
localities in subtropical Qld. Flowers Mar.--Aug.
