Ammophila* Host,. Icon. Descr. Gram. Austriac. 4: 24, t. 41 (1809).
Derivation:.
From the Greek ammos, sand and philos, loving.
Key references (keys and floras):. C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae
159 (1952); J.P.Jessop, Flora of South Australia 4: 1918 (1986);
B.K.Simon, Key to Australian Grasses 64 (1993);S.W.L.Jacobs and
S.M.Hastings, Flora of New South Wales 4: 587 (1993); N.G.Walsh, Flora
of Victoria 2: 488 (1994); D.I.Morris, Student's Flora of
Tasmania 4B: 274 (1994); E.Edgar and H.E.Connor, Flora of New Zealand
5: 245–246 (2000); D.Sharp and B.K.Simon, AusGrass (2002); J.P.Jessop, Grasses
of South Australia 193–195 (2006); S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley &
D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th Ed, 117 (2008); A.Wilson
(ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2: 237–238 (2009).
W.D.Clayton & S.A.Renvoize, Genera Graminum (1986), genus (199).
Naturalised. 2 species, from North temperate regions. 1 species in Australia, WA, SA, NSW,
Vic, and Tas. Also New Zealand.
Habit.
Perennial, rhizomatous. Culms herbaceous. Leaf blades narrow. Ligule an
unfringed membrane.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence paniculate, contracted.
Spikelets.
Spikelets laterally compressed, 1 flowered, pedicelled; with naked rachilla
extension. Fertile spikelets disarticulating above glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
more or less equal, about equal to spikelet to exceeding florets, pointed,
awnless, keeled, similar. Lower glume 1 nerved. Upper glume 1–3 nerved.
Florets.
Fertile florets 1. Lemmas similar in texture to glumes, entire at apex or
incised, minutely awned or mucronate, without a germination flap, 3 nerved or 5
nerved, with nerves non-confluent, 1 keeled. Awns 1, dorsal, non-geniculate,
much shorter than body of lemma. Palea relatively long, apically notched
(minutely), several nerved (often 4-nerved). Callus short, pointed. Lodicules
2. Ovary not hairy. Stamens 3. Stigmas 2. Grain medium sized, ellipsoid,
compressed dorsiventrally or terete. Hilum long-linear (two thirds grain
length). Embryo small. Endosperm hard.
Kranz Anatomy.
C3.
2n = 14,
28, and 56, 2, 4, and 8 ploid, commonly adventive.
Habitat.
Xerophytic. Sand-binding and dune stabilizing. Species of open habitats.
Classification.
Pooideae; Poeae.
Notes.
Hybridises with Calamagrostis, differing mainly in its adaptation to a
special environment (Clayton and Renvoize 1986).
Types Species. A. arundinacea Host, nom. illeg. = A. arenaria (L.) Link.
Biogeographic Element. Clifford & Simon 1981, Simon & Jacobs 1990: Naturalised.
