Bothriochloa
biloba S. T. Blake. Univ.
Queensland Dept. Biol. Pap 2(3): 27 (1944). Classification.
(GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Micraireae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia, Warialda: Hadley.
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 (167).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(128(2)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of
New South Wales, 4th edn (167).
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 50–100 cm tall, 3–7 -noded.
Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches branched. Ligule a fringed membrane,
a ciliolate membrane, 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or revolute, 7–20 cm long,
3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence digitate, with ramose branches. Racemes 3–6, 4–10 cm long.
Central inflorescence axis 0.7–1.5 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets developed, comprising 2 subequal glumes without
lemmas, 4.2–5.7 mm long. 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, linear or lanceolate
or elliptic, dorsally compressed, 6.5–8 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, chartaceous,
without keels, 13–15 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume
lanceolate, keeled, 1-keeled, 0 -nerved. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper
glume apex mucronate. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without
significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 66–75 % of length of spikelet,
hyaline.
Fertile lemma 3–4.3 mm
long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median
(principal) awn from a sinus, 20–25 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Anthers 3. Grain 3.2–3.5 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Darling Downs. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast,
North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains.
Notes. Found on
clay soils of the Darling Downs, Qld and the tablelands and western slopes of
the Gt Divide in northern N.S.W. extending to Sydney. It is thought to be of
limited fodder value. Flowers Nov.--Jun.
