Sehima nervosum (Rottler) Stapf. Fl.
Trop. Afr. 9: 36 (1917).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Andropogon
nervosus Rottler ex Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 2: 812 (1817).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Philippine Islands: Luzon: July 1918, M. Ramos
Bur. of Sci. 32946 (HT: ?; IT: US-1263212).
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (205 as Ischaemum
laxum, 201 as Andropogon striatus), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora
Australiensis 7 (522 as Ischaemum laxum), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora
of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (301), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (366).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (303,
Pl. 88), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of
New South Wales, 4th edn (366).
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 30–100 cm tall, wiry. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or
bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–40 cm long, 2–7
mm wide.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a rame. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets developed, containing empty lemmas or male, 6–10
mm long. Companion spikelet glumes muticous. 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,
laterally compressed, 6–10 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic,
cartilaginous or coriaceous, much thinner above, keeled, 2-keeled, wingless or
winged on keel, winged narrowly, 6 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower
glume apex mucronate. Upper glume elliptic, 6 mm long, membranous or
chartaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, winged on keel, 3–5 -nerved. Upper glume surface
scabrous. Upper glume apex awned. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1,
male, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline, 2 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 5 mm
long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median
(principal) awn from a sinus, 20–40 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Palea without keels.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, New South
Wales.
Western Australia:
Gardner, Fitzgerald, Hall, Dampier. Northern Territory: Darwin &
Gulf, Victoria River, Barkly Tableland. Queensland: Burke, Burnett,
Cook, Darling Downs, Gregory North, Leichhardt, Mitchell, Moreton, North
Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy. New South Wales: North-Western
Slopes.
Notes. Common
in savanna country througout subtropical and tropical Australia. Extends
through New Guinea and SE Asia to India and tropical Africa. Poor quality
fodder. Flowers all year.
