Enteropogon dolichostachyus (Lagas.)
Keng. Austral. J. Bot. Supp. 5: 31 (1972).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Cynodonteae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Chloris
dolichostachya Lag., Gen. Sp. Pl. 5 (1816).
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Philippine Islands: de Jambuangan, Ludovicus
Née s.n. (HT: MA).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Illustrations:
[2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3
(Fig. 48D-F, Fig. 49E-H).
Habit.
Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, stature robust to moderate, 60–100 cm
tall. Lateral branches branched. Leaves cauline. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
Leaf-blades flat or involute or convolute, 8–30 cm long, 2.5–8 mm wide.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence digitate, with spicate branches.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets 1 or more flowered, with 1 fertile floret,
comprising 1 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, elliptic,
dorsally compressed, 4.5–5 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
without keels, 1 -nerved. Lower glume apex muticous or mucronate. Upper glume
lanceolate, 3–6.5 mm long, membranous, without keels, 1 -nerved. Upper glume
apex mucronate or awned.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 3.5–5.2 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex entire, awned, 1
-awned. Median (principal) awn 6.5–15 mm long overall. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers
3.
Continental
Distribution: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western
Australia: Gardner.
Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf. Queensland:
Cook.
Notes.
Though somewhat intermediate between E. acicularis and E. minutus
in spikelet dimensions, the species bears a closer resemblance to the latter.
However, the distinctly larger spikelet of E. dolichostachyus and
absence of a contra-ligule are diagnostic characters. The beard on the rachilla
at the base of the second floret is a prominent, but inconsistent feature, also
occurring at times less markedly in the E. acicularis complex.
2Sparsely
recorded around the N coast, and on off-shore islands, from Cape Leveque in
W.A. to Cooktown in Qld, and from Middle Percy Island, SE of Mackay; Philippine
Islands, SE Asia, Papua, Timor. Usually found in shrubland on coastal sand
dunes under Ficus or Melaleuca, or in vine thickets.