Arundinella setosa

Arundinella setosa Trin. Gram. Pan. 63
(1826).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Nepal:, Lindley s.n. (T: K).

Key references
(books and floras):
[1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea
(32), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.

Derivation: L.
seta,
bristle; -osa, abundance. Glumes and/or lemmas awned or
attenuated.

Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, short. Culms 50–120 cm tall, 2–5 -noded. Mid-culm
internodes glabrous or pubescent. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches
simple or sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule
a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades straight, flat, 10–40 cm
long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle oblong or ovate, 5–30 cm long, 3–6
cm wide, contracted about primary branches.

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,
lanceolate, laterally compressed, 5–7 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved. Lower glume apex mucronate or awned. Upper glume
elliptic, 5.5–7 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 5 -nerved. Upper glume
surface scabrous. Upper glume apex muticous or mucronate. Florets. Basal
sterile florets 1, male or barren, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret
100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved.

Fertile lemma 2.5–3 mm
long, without keel, 3–5 -nerved. Lemma apex dentate, awned, 3 -awned. Median
(principal) awn from a sinus, 5–9.5 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Column 3.5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns present. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules
present. Anthers 3. Grain 2 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Northern Territory, Queensland.

Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf, Barkly Tableland. Queensland: Burke, Cook, North
Kennedy.

Notes. From
Indo-Malesia and SE Asia to tropical Qld and N.T. Tropical savanna woodlands.
Flowers Jan.-Aug.

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