Centotheca lappacea

Centotheca lappacea (L.) Desv. Nouv.
Bull. Sci. Soc.Philom. Paris
2: 189 (1810).

Classification.
(GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Centothecoideae. Tribe Centotheceae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Cenchrus
lappaceus
L.Sp. Pl. (ed. 2), 1488 (1763).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: LT: (LINN-1212–15). LT designated by ?; cited by
Monod de Friodville, Blumea 19: 59 (1971).

Recent synonyms:
C. latifolia.

Key references
(books and floras):
[1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (640),
[1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (47), [2002] D.Sharp
& B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.

Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 30–100 cm tall. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 2–3 mm
long. Leaf-blades lanceolate, 8–12 cm long, 15–20 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface
glabrous or indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, 10–25 cm long, contracted
about primary branches.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets, comprising 2–3 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex,
lanceolate, laterally compressed or terete, 5–8 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume ovate, herbaceous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved. Lower glume apex mucronate. Upper glume oblong,
3.2 mm long, herbaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, 3–5 -nerved. Upper glume apex
mucronate.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 3–3.5 mm long, without keel, 5–7 -nerved. Lemma surface
indumented. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules present. Anthers
2.

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

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland.

Queensland:
Cook, North Kennedy.

Notes. Northern
Qld. From Africa to Polynesia and Australia. In lowland rainforest near water,
usually on the edge of streams or in swamps. Flowers recorded all months except
Jan., Mar., Sept. & Nov.

 

Herbrecs 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