Scrotochloa urceolata

Scrotochloa urceolata (Roxburgh)
E.J.Judziewicz. Phytologia  56:
300 (1984).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Pharoideae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Pharus
urceolatus
Roxb., Fl. Ind. 3: 611–612 (1832).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: HT: Anon., Malaysia: Pulo Pinang (BM). Herb.
Roxburgh.

Recent synonyms:
Leptaspis urceolata.

Key references
(books and floras):
[1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea
(120 as Scrotochloa), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia
, [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol
44A. Poaceae 2 (9).

Illustrations:
[2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (8,
Fig.1A-B).

Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, elongated. Culms erect or geniculately ascending
or decumbent, 20–50 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes hollow, thin-walled. Ligule a
fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 0.5 mm long, abaxially hairy.
Leaf-blades elliptic, 15–25 cm long, 40–60 mm wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, 10–12 cm long, contracted
about primary branches.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the cluster. Male spikelets pedicelled, 1 in a
cluster. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without
rachilla extension, obovate, laterally compressed, 4–6 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume obovate, scarious, without
keels, 7–9 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume obovate, 4–6 mm
long, scarious, keeled, 2-keeled, 7 -nerved. Upper glume surface indumented. Florets.
Fertile florets female.

Fertile lemma 4–8 mm
long, without keel, 5–7(–13) -nerved. Lemma surface indumented. Lodicules
absent or vestigial. Anthers 6.

Continental
Distribution
: Tropical Asia, Australasia, and Pacific.

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland.

Queensland:
Cook.

Notes.
Known from few collections in far N Qld. Sri Lanka and southern India to
Vietnam, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia and the Solomon Is. In vine forest
and rainforest. Flowers recorded in Oct.

 

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