Cleistochloa sclerachne (F. M. Bailey) C. E. Hubbard. Hooker's Icon. Pl. 33: t. 3209, 3 (1933).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or Replacement Name: Chionachne sclerachne F.M. Bailey, Queensland Dept. Agric. Bull. 7( Bot. Bull. 2): 21 (1891).
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: HT: Gulliver s.n., Apr 1886, Australia: Queensland: Cape York Peninsula, Lloyd Bay (BRI; IT: K (fragm. ex BRI)).
Key references (books and floras): [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (51), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Habit. Perennial. Rhizomes present, short. Culms erect, 40–90 cm tall, wiry, 8–14 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparsely branched. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 4.5–12 cm long, 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or scabrous, glabrous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Racemes 1, 1–2.5 cm long.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. 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, elliptic, dorsally compressed, 4.3–4.6 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume if present ovate, hyaline, without keels, 0 -nerved. Upper glume elliptic or oblong, 4.2–4.5 mm long, scarious, without keels, 5 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous or indumented. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 90 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5–7 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 4.1–4.5 mm long, without keel. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea without keels. Anthers 3.
Continental Distribution: Tropical Asia and Australasia.
Australian Distribution: Queensland.
Queensland: Cook, North Kennedy.
Notes. Resembles C. subjuncea but has wider and longer leaf blades, and a hairy or long ciliate lower lemma. The cleistogamous spikelets of these two species are similar.
This species has only been collected in the far N of Cape York Penin. Qld. Geobotanical distribution: Cape York. In tropical heaths and tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands. Flowers May.-Aug.
