Yakirra majuscula (F.Muell. ex
Benth.) Lazarides
& R.D.Webster. Brunonia 7: 295 (1984).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
majusculum F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Austral. 7: 482 (1878).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Elsey s.n., Australia:
Northern Territory: Victoria
River Distr.: Victoria River
(K; IT: MEL).
Recent synonyms:
Ichnanthus majusculus (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Hughes.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (482 as Panicum
majusculum), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (262 as Ichnanthus majusculus),
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Derivation:
from the Latin majus (great) and -ula (diminutive). Somewhat
larger in some respect than related species.
Habit. Annual.
Culms 30–75 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes hollow. Mid-culm nodes glabrous.
Lateral branches sparsely branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–2 mm long.
Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long, 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous or
indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, 4–15 cm long, with spikelets
clustered towards branch tips.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. 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,
dorsally compressed, 5–6.8 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, (5–)7–9 -nerved. Upper glume ovate, 5–6.8 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 7–9 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without
significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet,
membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 3.4–5.1
mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lodicules present.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia: Fitzgerald. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf, Victoria
River, Barkly Tableland. Queensland:
Burke, Cook.
Notes.
Similar to Y. pauciflora but can be distinguished on spikelet size.
These species have in common the unusual characteristic of hairs on the adaxial
surface of the upper glume and lower lemma. In general, Y. majusculum is
distributed N of Y. australiensis, and tends to be less branched and
taller in habit.
In tropical and
subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid and semi-arid low woodlands, arid hummock
grasslands, and tropical sub-humid grasslands. Flowers mostly Feb.-Sept.
