Lachnagrostis billardieri
(R.Br.)Trinius. (1820).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae.
Tribe Poeae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Agrostis
billardieri R. Br., Prodr. 171 (1810).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: R. Brown 6218, 1802–1805, Australia: New South Wales: Port Jackson (BM). LT
designated by Vickery, Contr. New
South Wales Herb 1: 101–119 (1941).
Recent synonyms:
Agrostis billardieri R.Br. var. billardieri, Agrostis
billardieri R.Br. var. tenuiseta D.I.Morris
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (580 as Deyeuxia
billardieri), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia (229), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (289), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia,
Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (177, 178 as subsp. billardieri, subsp. tenuiseta).
Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (228, fig. 172 as subsp. billardieri),
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (289), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A:
Poaceae 2 (182, Fig.26 as subsp. billardieri).
Habit. Annual
or perennial. Rhizomes absent or present, short. Culms erect or geniculately
ascending, 25–75 cm tall, 3 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths
antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 3–12 mm long, abaxially
scaberulous, lacerate, obtuse or acute. Leaf-blades filiform or linear, flat or
conduplicate, 5–40(–50) cm long, 1–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface papillose.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle pyramidal, 10–30 cm long, 5–30 cm
wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), with a barren rachilla extension, lanceolate, laterally compressed,
3–7 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled,
1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 4–7 mm long, membranous, keeled,
1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface scabrous.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 2.5–4.5 mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface glabrous.
Lemma apex dentate, muticous or awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn
subapical or dorsal, 3–10 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea apex
dentate. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales,
Victoria, Tasmania.
South Australia:
Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty,
Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. New South Wales:
North Coast,
Central Coast,
South Coast. Victoria:
East Gippsland, Gippsland Plain, Lowan Mallee, Otway Plain, Wilsons Promontory, Wannon. Tasmania: North West, North East,
West Coast, East Coast, South West.
Notes.
Endemic.
Infra-specific taxa: subsp. billardieri, subsp. tenuiseta.
Awn longer than 3.5
mm, exceeding the glumes L. billardieri subsp. billardieri
Awn less than 2.0 mm, not or hardly exceeding the
glumes L. billardieri subsp. tenuiseta
