Australopyrum pectinatum (Labill.) Á.Löve. Repert.
Spec. Nov. Regni Veg 95: 443
(1984).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae.
Tribe Triticeae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Festuca
pectinata Labill. Nov. Holl. Pl. 1: 21, t. 25 (1805).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Habitat in capite Van-Diemen, Labillardiere s.n..
Recent synonyms:
Agropyron pectinatum (Labill.) P.Beauv.; Agropyron bownei (Kunth)
Tsvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast., 10: 35 (1973).
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (666 as Agropyron
pectinatum), [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 (138), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia,
Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (108).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (138).
Derivation: L.
pecten, comb; -ata, possessing. Inflorescence with spikes or racemes
bearing a fanciful resemblance to a comb.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms 11.5–60 cm tall. Leaf-sheath auricles present. Ligule an
eciliate membrane, 0.2–0.5 mm long, hyaline or membranous, truncate or acute.
Leaf-blades flat or involute, 5–12(–16) cm long, 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface scaberulous, indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Racemes 1, oblong, 3–8 cm long, bearing
(8–)14–17 fertile spikelets on each.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (3–4), comprising 3–4 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the
apex, cuneate, laterally compressed, 5–10(–12) mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear or ovate, chartaceous or
cartilaginous or coriaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved. Lower glume apex
muticous or mucronate or awned. Upper glume lanceolate, 5 mm long, coriaceous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 5–7 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 5–13 mm long, keeled, 5–7 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented.
Lemma apex muticous or awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 2–5 mm long
overall.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia and North America.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.
Queensland:
Darling Downs, Moreton. New South Wales: Southern Tablelands,
Central-Western Slopes. Tasmania: North West, North East, West Coast,
Central Highlands, Midlands, Ben Lomond, East Coast.
Notes.
In this treatment A. pectinatum is treated in the narrow sense of
Vickery (1951) (but not considered to be restricted to Tasmania) and Löve
(1984), and does not include A. retrofractum as proposed by Willis
(1970) and Simon (1986). Australopyrum pectinatum and A. retrofractum are separable by a number
of morphological and anatomical characters (see discussion under A.
retrofractum). A population of smaller and less indumented individuals has
been collected from the lower slopes of Mt. Barrow, Tas.
Endemic. Flowers
Dec.-April.
