Arthragrostis clarksoniana

Arthragrostis clarksoniana B.K.Simon. Austrobaileya
3: 585 (1992).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Cook Dist.: 16 km from Meripah homestead on road to
the south, 13.49S 142.22E, 11 May 1987, J. R. Clarkson & B. K. Simon
7149
(HT: BRI-AQ452649; IT: MBA, NSW)

Key references
(books and floras):
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
.

Derivation: In
honor of John Richard Lindsay Clarkson (1950-) Scots-born Australian botanist.

Habit. Annual.
Culms erect or geniculately ascending, stature slender to delicate, 40–80 cm
tall, 2–4 -noded. Lateral branches sparsely branched. Ligule a fringed
membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, 3–10 cm
long, 20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, effuse, 23–30 cm long.

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 ovate,
dorsally compressed, 3.5–4 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between
glumes and elongated below proximal fertile floret.

Glumes. Glumes
thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic or ovate, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Lower glume apex muticous.
Upper glume elliptic, 3.5–4 mm long, membranous, without keels, 7–9 -nerved.
Upper glume surface indumented. Upper glume apex muticous. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower
sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous.

Fertile lemma 1.5 mm
long, without keel. Anthers 3. Grain 1.5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Northern Territory, Queensland.

Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook.

Notes. Northern
Cape York Peninsular and one record from northern N.T.

AVH 2011

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith