Austrostipa puberula

Austrostipa puberula (Steudel)
S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett. Telopea 6: 588 (1996).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Stipeae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Stipa puberula Steud.,
Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 128 (1854).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: HT: Drummond IV 379, Australia (P; IT: K,
MEL-59971, MEL-59972, MEL-59973).

Recent synonyms:
Stipa arachnopus.

Key references
(books and floras):
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1
Gramineae (183 & 179 as Stipa archnopus), [2002] D.Sharp
& B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (100), [2008]
S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales
(156), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2
(58).

Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (100, Fig. 62), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(156), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2
(18, Fig. 2H).

Habit.
Perennial. Culms 30–80 cm tall. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy.
Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliate membrane, 0.2–0.5 mm long, truncate.
Leaf-blades filiform, involute, 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or
indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, dense, 15–20 cm long.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 10 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, chartaceous, without
keels, 3 -nerved. Upper glume ovate, 6–12 mm long, membranous, without keels, 5
-nerved.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 6 mm long, without keel. Lemma surface indumented. Lemma apex
lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 25–65 mm long overall, with a
twisted column. Column 8–20 mm long. Palea without keels. Grain 2–5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales,
Victoria.

Western Australia:
Eucla, Roe, Coolgardie. South Australia: Nullabor, Eyre Peninsula,
Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty. New South Wales:
South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee,
Wimmera.

Notes. South-western New
South Wales and north-western Victoria, the Eyre Peninsula and Nullarbor Plain
in South Australia, extending into Western Australia.

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