Sarga intrans (F.Muell. ex Benth.)
Spangler. Austral. Syst. Bot. 16(3): 290 . (2003).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Sorghum intrans
F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Austral. 7: 541 (1878).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: LT: Schultz 31, Oct 1869, Australia: Nothern Territory:
Port Darwin, presented by R. Schomburgk (K). LT designated by Lazarides et al.,
Austral. Syst. Bot. 4: 618 (1991).
Recent synonyms:
Sorghum exstans.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (541 as Sorghum
intrans), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (319), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Habit. Annual.
Culms erect, 100–360 cm tall, 4–8 mm diam., 4–8 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous
or pubescent or bearded. Lateral branches simple. Leaves cauline. Ligule an
eciliate membrane or a fringed membrane, a ciliate membrane, 2–4.5 mm long,
erose. Leaf-blades 50 cm long, 10–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of rames. Panicle linear or lanceolate, 14–40
cm long, 2.5–4 cm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 2 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets developed, containing empty lemmas, 9–24 mm long.
Companion spikelet glumes muticous or awned. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the
lower floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal
sterile florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension,
elliptic or oblong or obovate, dorsally compressed, (6–)10–15(–20) mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma, shiny. Lower glume oblong or
ovate, coriaceous, keeled, 2-keeled, 9 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous or
indumented. Upper glume ovate, coriaceous, without keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper
glume surface glabrous or indumented. Upper glume apex muticous or mucronate. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower
sterile floret 80 % of length of spikelet, hyaline, 2 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 3–5 mm
long, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex dentate, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn
from a sinus, (40–)75–110(–150) mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea
absent. Lodicules present. Anthers 3. Grain 4–6.3 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory.
Western Australia:
Gardner, Fitzgerald, Dampier. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf,
Victoria River.
Notes.
Sorghum exstans was separated from S. intrans by a number of
small morphological characters, but they show a lack of consistency on closer
examination. I regard them as the sort of characters found in normal
intra-specific variation.
Confined to the Kimberley, W.A. and north-western N.T.
on a range of soil types general in alluvial situations. Flowers all year, but
mainly in summer.
