Schismus barbatus* (L.) Thell. Bull.
Herb.Boiss. ser. 2,7:391 (1907).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Danthonioideae. Tribe Danthonieae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Festuca barbata
L., Demonstr. Pl. 3 (1753).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: LT: (LINN-92.26). LT designated by Scholz in
Cafferty et al., Taxon 49(2): 250 (2000).
Key references
(books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1
Gramineae (58), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia (312), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (364).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (59,
Pl.15), [1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (234), [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of
Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig. 4, E-G), [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (313, Fig. 245), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(364).
Habit. Annual.
Culms decumbent, 3–30 cm tall. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform
or aciculate, flat or convolute, 1–10 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear or lanceolate or elliptic or
oblong, 1–6 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (4–10), comprising 4–10 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at
the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 4–7 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate,
membranous, without keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 2.75–6 mm long,
membranous, without keels, 3–5 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 1.25–2.5 mm long, without keel, 7–9 -nerved. Lemma surface
indumented. Lemma apex lobed, muticous or mucronate. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules
present. Anthers 3. Grain 0.52–0.8 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia,
North America, and South America.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, New
South Wales, Victoria.
Northern Territory:
Central Australia South. South Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre,
Nullabor, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula,
Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island,
South-eastern. New South Wales: North Coast, Central-Western Slopes,
South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, North Far
Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: East Gippsland,
Lowan Mallee, Midlands, Murray Mallee, Riverina, Wimmera.
Notes.
Introduced from South Africa.
Various
soils, from sands to cracking clays. Flowers Oct.
