Eragrostis falcata (Gaud.)
Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2, 1: 563 (1840).
Classification.
(GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Cynodonteae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Poa falcata
Gaudich., Voy. Uranie 408, t. 25 (1830).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia:
"In Novae-Hollandiae ora occidentali (baie des Chiens-Marins), IT: C.
Gaudichaud-Beaupr s.n., Australia (L).
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (644 as Eragrostis
trichophylla, 649 as Eragrostis falcata), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora
of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (124), [1981] M.Lazarides in
J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central Australia (458), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (370), [2008]
S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales
(252).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (127, Pl. 37),
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (371, Fig. 301), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn
(252).
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect or decumbent, 10–60 cm tall, wiry. Ligule a fringe of
hairs, 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, conduplicate or convolute, 2–8 cm
long, 1 mm wide.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle oblong, 5–20 cm long, 2–8 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (6–70), comprising 6–70 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at
the apex, linear, terete, 3.6–43 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume lanceolate or oblong, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1
-nerved. Upper glume lanceolate or oblong, 1.5 mm long, membranous, keeled,
1-keeled, 1 -nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 1.5–2 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex muticous. Anthers 3.
Grain 1 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Western Australia: Gardner, Hall,
Dampier. Mueller, Canning, Keartland, Giles, Helms, Fortescue, Ashburton,
Carnarvon, Austin. Eucla. Northern Territory:
Central Australia North, Central Australia
South. South Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre, Nullabor,
Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke
Peninsula. Queensland:
Burke, Gregory South, South Kennedy, Warrego, Leichhardt. New South Wales: North-Western
Plains, North Far Western Plains. Victoria:
Murray Mallee.
Notes.
A moderate fodder species; also a useful saline tolerant species.
Distinguishing characters include dorsally
compressed or subterete caryopsis; hairy rootbase; terete or biconvex, linear
spikelets; obtusely keeled lemmas; lateral nerves on lemma midway; setaceous
blades, much narrower than sheaths.
Endemic;
widespread throughout W.A., central N.T. and S.A.; in Qld., near L. Buchanan S
of Charters Towers and from Cunnamulla S to Mildura in N Vic. Commonly in
saline seasonally flooded habitats (in or near saline lakes, claypans, tidal
and samphire flats, marshes, depressions) in calcareous or gypseous soils of
medium to heavy texture.; flowers all year round but not recorded for Feb.;
fruits all year round but not recorded for Feb.
