Eragrostis confertiflora

Eragrostis confertiflora J. M. Black. Trans.&
Proc. Roy. Soc. South Australia

55: 136 (1931).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae.
Cynodonteae.

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Eragrostis
interrupta
var. densiflora J.M. Black, Trans. & Proc. Roy.
Soc. South Australia

48: 253 (1924).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Toorawatchy Waterhole, between Cordillo Downs and
Innamincka, J.B. Cleland s.n..

Key references
(books and floras):
[1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of
Central Australia
(459), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia
, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses
of South Australia
(367).

Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (367, fig. 295).

Habit. Annual
or ephemeral. Culms erect or decumbent, 16–40 cm tall, 1–2 -noded. Ligule a
fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs, a ciliolate membrane or a ciliate
membrane, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, flat, 6–12 cm long, 1–3.3 mm
wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear or lanceolate, 5–25 cm long,
0.5–1 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile or pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least
2 fertile florets (5–10), comprising 5–10 fertile floret(s), with diminished
florets at the apex, linear or oblong, laterally compressed, 2–5 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper
glume lanceolate, 0.75 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 0.8–1.1 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex muticous.
Lodicules present. Anthers 2.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland.

Western Australia: Hall. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf, Barkly
Tableland, Central Australia North, Central Australia
South. South Australia: Lake Eyre. Queensland:
Burke, South Kennedy, Gregory North, Gregory South, Mitchell, Warrego.

Notes.
Distinguishing characters include spiciform compact panicles long relative to
plant; membranous ligule; shiny turgid caryopsis; two stamens; 3-lobed palea with
almost smooth keels shorter than body and flaps; membranous-hyaline glumes,
lemmas and paleas; fragile rachilla cupular at apex of internodes. There are
many similarities with E. tenellula, its chief difference being its
spiciform (not open, decompound) panicle.

Endemic;
occurs on Gordon Downs Stn in W.A. just near the border, then throughout
central N.T. from about Katherine E into SW Qld and the far NE corner of S.A.
Black cracking clay grassland plains; seasonally wet swamps, and creek bed and
banks; red-brown loamy swales of sandhills; lateritic soils.; flowers
Apr.-Sept.; fruits Apr.-Sept.

AVH 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