Dryopoa dives (F. Muell.) Vickery. Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 3: 196 (1963).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Poeae.
Basionym and/or Replacement Name: Festuca dives F. Muell., Fragm. 3: 147 (1863).
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Australia: In colibus silvaticus inter flumia Tarwan et Bunyip Creek, Mueller s.n. (IT: K).
Recent synonyms: Festuca dives.
Key references (books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (659 as Glyceria dives), [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 (224), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (299 & 300 as spp. dives A and B).
Illustrations: [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (224), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (298, Fig. 40).
Habit. Perennial. Culms erect, 23–500 cm tall, 3–10 mm diam., 5 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Leaves cauline. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 6–20 mm long, lacerate. Leaf-blades 10–55 cm long, 5–24 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle pyramidal, 12–56 cm long.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets (3–7), comprising 3–7 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, elliptic or oblong, laterally compressed, 5–9(–12) mm long.
Glumes. Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume oblong, 4.3–8.1 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Upper glume surface scabrous.
Florets. Fertile lemma 4–7.2 mm long, keeled, 5(–7) -nerved. Lemma apex erose, awned. Median (principal) awn 0.5–2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental Distribution: Australasia.
Australian Distribution: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.
New South Wales: Central Coast, South Coast, Southern Tablelands. Victoria: East Gippsland, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Highlands, Grampians, Wilsons Promontory, Snowfields. Tasmania: East Coast.
In Tas. known only from the Snug Plains, E Coast, in the Grampians and E, Vic., and S from Robertson, N.S.W. Tall wet sclerophyll forest. Flowers Nov.-Mar.
Notes. 1. Culms 1–3 noded; leaf blades stiff; peduncles scabrous; sheaths, culms and spikelets typically strongly pigmented purple c. subsp. A
Culms 3–8 noded; leaf blades not stiff; peduncles glabrous; sheaths, culms and spikelets not as strongly pigmented 2
2. Lower glume 3–4.7 mm long; upper glume 4.3–5.5 mm long, scabrous; lemma 5.1–5.9 mm long; ligule prominently nerved a. subsp. dives
Lower glume 5–6.8 mm long; upper glume 6–8.1 mm long, glabrous; lemma 6–7.2 mm long; ligule faintly nerved b. subsp. B.
