Micraira

1. Inflorescence contracted, the spikelets pedicelled 2
Inflorescence compact, the spikelets sessile or subsessile 11
   
2. Leaf blades muticous, without a distinct spine 3
Leaf blades apex a pungent spine 0.5-1.5mm long 9
   
3. Lemma with 6-9 ribbed nerves; palea 5-7-nerved, entire; culms usually ribbed, pallid M. subulifolia (QLD)
Lemma with 1-4 ribs or faint nerves; palea usually nerveless, divided into 2 equal parts; culms usually smooth, brown 4
   
4. Midnerve of glume prolonged into a terete spine 0.2-0.5 mm long M. spinifera (NT)
Glume muticous or mucronulate, without a distinct spine 5
   

5.


6.

Plant viscid; leaf sheaths hairy on surface M. viscidula (NT)
Plant not viscid; leaf sheaths hairy about the mouth or glabrous 6
   
Glumes strongly 3-5-nerved M. sp. A Purnlulu (NT WA)
Glumes with 1 strong nerve 7
   
7. Lemma strongly 3-nerved; caryopsis smooth M. dunlopii (NT WA)
Lemma 0-4-nerved, nerves often faint when more than 1; caryopsis striate or wrinkled 8
   
8. Leaf blades c. 0.3mm wide, 1-nerved; panicle 20-30 x 20-40mm, usually eglandular; ligule hairs usually 0.5-1.3mm long M. tenuis (NT)
Leaf blades 0.5-1.5mm wide, 5-7-nerved; panicle 10-15 x 7-15mm, glandular; ligule hairs 0.3-0.5mm long M. adamsii (NT)
   
9. Lemma 5-7-nerved; palea 4-nerved; leaf blade mostly coriaceous to indurated and glabrous, cartilaginous and hairy near ligule, minutely scaberulous or smooth on margins M. multinervia (NT)
Lemma 1-3-nerved; palea nerveless; leaf blade uniform in texture, glabrous, spiny-scabrous on margins 10
   
10. Glumes ovate-oblong, usually subacute to obtuse; lemma ovate, obtuse, entire, 1-3-nerved; panicle prominently exserted, glandular on divisions; leaf sheath 7-9-nerved M. pungens (NT)
Glumes broadly oblong, truncate; lemma oblong, obtuse to truncate; panicle shortly exserted, eglandular; leaf sheath 11-13-nerved M. dentata (NT)
   
11. Spike exserted above the upper leaves 12
Spike shorter than, and obscured by, the upper leaves 14
   
12. Glumes with an apical flattened spine c. 0.5 mm long; leaf sheath abruptly narrowed at junction with blade M. compacta (NT)
Glumes muticous; leaf sheath of similar width to blade at their junction 13
   

13.


14.

Peduncle glabrous, glandular; florets c. 1/2 as long as glumes; glumes oblong, obtuse, glabrous M. spiciforma (NT WA)
Peduncle pilose to hirsute, eglandular; florets c. 1/3 as long as glumes; glumes ovate, subacute, pilose M. subspicata (NT)
   
Spikelets exserted above the upper leaves M. brevis (WA)
Spikelets shorter then ther upper leaves 15
   
15. Leaf blades 5-6mm long; glumes apex entire, scaberulous M. inserta (NT)
Leaf blades 1.8-3.7mm long; glumes apex emarginate, ciliate M. lazaridis (WA)

Key to Micraira derived from Lazarides 1979, 1985; Clark et al. 1995

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