Ancistrachne maidenii (A.A.Ham.)Vickery. Contrib.
N. S. Wales Nat. Herb. 3: 83 (1961).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Eriochloa
maidenii .
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: New South Wales: Hawkesbury River,
3–5–1912, Hamilton s.n. (HT: NSW-52514).
Key references
(books and floras): [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 (121).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (121).
Derivation: in
honor of Joseph Henry Maiden (1859–1925) English-born Australian botanist.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms decumbent, 30–100 cm tall, wiry, 8–20 -noded. Mid-culm nodes
glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.4–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades linear or
lanceolate, flat or involute, 1–4 cm long, 1–8 mm wide.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Racemes 1, 3–10 cm long.
Spikelets. Spikelets
pedicelled, 1–2 in the cluster. 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, oblong, dorsally
compressed, 2.5–3 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, hyaline,
without keels, 0–3 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous or indumented. Upper
glume lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long, scarious, without keels, 5–9 -nerved. Upper
glume surface indumented. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren,
without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of
spikelet, membranous, 7–9 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2.2–2.7
mm long, without keel. Lemma apex mucronate.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: New South Wales.
New South Wales:
Central Coast.
Notes.
A rare species with questionable taxonomic status.
In dry sclerophyll
forests. Flowers Jan.-June.