Australopyrum retrofractum (Vickery)
Á.Löve. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg 95:
443 (1984).
Classification. (GPWG
2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Triticeae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Agropyron
retrofractum Vickery Contr. New South Wales Natl. Herb..
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: New South Wales: Rock Flat near Cooma, E.
Betche, 2.1893. (NSW. No. 9116. Duplicate at K.), (HT: NSW-9116; IT: K).
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 (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), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A:
Poaceae 2 (109, Fig.16).
Derivation: L.
retro, backwards; fractus, broken. With retrorse hairs on the
rhachis.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 20–95 cm tall, 2–3 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous.
Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles present. Ligule an
eciliate membrane, 0.2–1 mm long, hyaline, truncate. Leaf-blades flat or
involute, 5–15(–26) cm long, 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous,
indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Racemes 1, 1.5–6 cm long, bearing 4–19 fertile
spikelets on each.
Spikelets. Spikelets
sessile. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets
(5–9), comprising 5–9 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex,
oblong, laterally compressed, 8–20 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate or oblong
or ovate, cartilaginous or coriaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, 5 -nerved. Lower glume
apex muticous or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, 5–7 mm long, coriaceous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 7 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 8.5–10 mm long, without keel or keeled, 5–8 -nerved. Lemma apex
muticous or mucronate or awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 0.5–3 mm long
overall. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: New South Wales, Victoria.
New South Wales:
Central-Western Slopes. Victoria: East Gippsland.
Notes.
Australopyrum retrofractum is treated in the sense of Vickery (1951),
and is not placed within A. pectinatum as proposed by Simon (1986), nor
is it considered to include A. velutinum at subspecific rank as
circumscribed by Löve (1984).
Endemic. Flowers
Nov.-Jan.
