Symplectrodia gracilis M. Lazarides. Nuytsia 5: 276 (1985).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Triodeae.
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Australia: Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf District; c. 7.5 miles SE of Mt. Gilruth; 133.09'E,13.07'S; 28 Feb 1973, Lazarides 7919 (HT: CANB; IT: BRI, DNA, K, L, MO, US).
Key references (books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Illustrations: [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig. 39E-O).
Habit. Perennial. Rhizomes absent. Culms stature slender to delicate, 25–105 cm tall, 3 -noded. Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, 7–15 cm long, 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle lanceolate, dense or loose, 7–17 cm long, 1–3 cm wide.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, lanceolate, laterally compressed, 13–15 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes similar, similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate, cartilaginous, without keels, 1–3 -nerved. Lower glume apex awned. Upper glume lanceolate, 10–15 mm long, cartilaginous, without keels, 3–5 -nerved. Upper glume apex awned.
Florets. Fertile lemma 10–12 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma surface glabrous or indumented. Lemma apex awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 5–8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules present. Anthers 3. Grain 4–4.5 mm long.
Continental Distribution: Australasia.
Australian Distribution: Northern Territory.
Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf.
Notes. Plants can be greyish from a dense cover of hairs on leaves, or vary from sparsely hairy to glabrous; distinguished from S. lanosa by its slender habit, smaller dimensions, and mostly glabrous longer awned lemma of the fertile floret.
Known only from a small area on the sandstone plateau of Arnhem Land, N.T. In the type locality, it is codominant with Eriachne on open margins of Acacia thickets on sandstone plateau, and also in semi-scalded patches, with stony shaly soil, associated with Micraira and scattered low shrubs.
