Microchloa indica

Microchloa indica (L. f.) Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. 115, t. 20, fig. 8 (1812). Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Cynodonteae.

Basionym and/or Replacement Name:  Nardus indica L. f. Suppl. Pl., 105 (1781)[1782].

Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: India: Tranquebaria, König s.n. (T: LINN-73.8).

Key references (books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (208 as M. setacea), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (608 as Microchloa setacea), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.

Illustrations: [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig. 53M-Q).

Habit. Annual. Culms erect or decumbent, 5–10 cm tall, wiry, 2–8 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform or linear, flat or conduplicate, 1–8(–11) cm long, 0.3–1.8 mm wide.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a spike.

Spikelets. Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 1.5–3 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes similar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume elliptic, 1.5–2.9 mm long, membranous, without keels, 1 -nerved.

Florets. Fertile lemma 1–1.75 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers 3. Grain 0.9–1.25 mm long.

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

Australian Distribution: Northern Territory.

Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf.

Notes. Microchloa indica differs from other members of the genus chiefly by its annual (not perennial) duration and usually also by its erect (not prostrate and mat-forming) habit.

Known only from two distant coastal localities in the N.T; occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Recorded from gravelly lateritic and sandy soils, with perennial grasses, in open eucalypt forest or woodland.

 

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