Poa fordeana F. Muell. Fragm.
8:130 (1873).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae.
Tribe Poeae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: LT: Mrs. Forde, Australia: Darling River
[lower] (MEL; ILT: K).
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (756 as Glyceria
fordeana), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia (150), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (350), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia,
Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (315).
Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (150, fig. 102), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(350), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2
(308, Fig. 41).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, elongated. Culms geniculately ascending, stature
slender to delicate, 20–100 cm tall. Lateral branches simple or sparsely
branched. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous, glabrous on
surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–5 mm long, abaxially hairy, truncate or
obtuse. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, 5–20(–30) cm long, 1.5–5 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic or pyramidal, 6–24 cm long,
with spikelets clustered towards branch tips.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (3–12), comprising 3–12 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at
the apex, linear or lanceolate, laterally compressed, 5–12.4 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume ovate, herbaceous, much thinner on margins, keeled,
1-keeled, 2–3 -nerved. Upper glume ovate, 3–4.7 mm long, herbaceous, keeled,
1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 3–5.1 mm long, keeled, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented.
Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
South Australia:
Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Murray. Queensland:
Darling Downs, Port Curtis. New South Wales: North-Western Slopes,
Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains,
South-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria:
Murray Mallee, Riverina, Wimmera.
Notes. Endemic.
Low-lying inland areas of SE Australia. Commonly on heavy clay soils and
sand-banks in wet situations. Flowers in response to rain and flooding,
recorded (June-)Sept.-Dec. Fruits Nov.-Jan.
