Lolium loliaceum*

Lolium loliaceum* (Bory & Chaub.) Hand.-Mazz. Ann. K.K. Naturhist. Hofmus.
28: 32 (1914).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae.
Tribe Poeae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Rottboellia
loliacea
Bory & Chaub. Exp. Sci. Moree Bot. 3: 46 (1832).

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
(133), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales
(296), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia,
Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (287), [1992] J.R.Wheeler et al, Flora of the
Kimberley Region
(288, Fig.38).

Illustrations:
[1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses  (193), [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst,
F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (134, fig. 88), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(296), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2
(288, Fig 38).

Habit. Annual.
Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent, 4–43 cm tall, 2–4 -noded.
Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous. Leaf-sheath
auricles absent, or present. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–1.5 mm long,
truncate or obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–17 cm long, 0.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface
smooth or scaberulous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a spike. Racemes 1, straight or arcuate, 3–30 cm long,
bearing 2–21 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis tough.

Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (2–8), comprising 2–8 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the
apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 5–18 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar to fertile lemma in texture. Upper glume lanceolate or oblong, 4–20 mm
long, coriaceous, without keels, 3–7 -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or
asperulous.

Florets. Fertile
lemma 3.2–8.5 mm long, without keel, 3–5 -nerved. Lemma apex entire or erose,
muticous or awned (rarely), 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn subapical,
0–3(–10) mm long overall. Lodicules present. Anthers 3. Grain 2.7–5.5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia,
South America, and Antarctica.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales,
Victoria, Tasmania.

Western Australia:
Drummond. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern
Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern.
New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, Central-Western Slopes,
South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains. Victoria:
East Gippsland, Gippsland Plain, Midlands, Otway Plain, Riverina, Volcanic
Plain, Wannon, Wimmera. Tasmania: Furneaux Group, East Coast.

Notes.
Should probably be maintained as a variety of L. rigidum, see Terrell
(1968) and Kloot (1983).

Introduced.
All states but N.T. and Qld. Native to the Mediterranean, now in southern
Africa, North America and South America. Roadsides, waste places, sandy areas,
often in maritime habitats. Flowers Sept.-Feb. Fruits Nov.-Dec.

 

AVH 2011

                 

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith