Eragrostis unioloides

Eragrostis unioloides (Retz.) Nees
ex Steud. Syn. Pl.
Glum.
1: 264
(1854).

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

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Poa unioloides
Retz., Observ. Bot. 5: 19 (1788.

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: India:
1776, Koenig s.n. (HT: ?; ST: BM, LE).

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. 65R-S).

Habit. Annual.
Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent, 7–72 cm tall. Leaf-sheath
auricles absent, or present. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.1–0.2 mm long.
Leaf-blades straight, flat or involute, 3–10 cm long, 2–5 mm wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic, 5–20 cm long, 2–6 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets
(9–72), comprising 9–72 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex,
lanceolate or ovate, laterally compressed, 4–18 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume lanceolate, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume
ovate, 1.6–2 mm long, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 1.3–2 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Anthers 2. Grain 0.7 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific,
North America, and South America.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland.

Queensland:
Cook, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Mitchell.

Notes.
Distinguishing characters include leaves with ribbed primary and secondary
nerves; blades acute, auricular; ligule curved or V-shaped; florets falling
entire, loose in lower part; rachilla straight, thickened; glumes unequal, as
long as their adjacent lemmas; lemmas broadly ovate, granular, with thickened
nerves; paleas hyaline, broad or orbicular, with winged keels, and hyaline
flaps much narrower than body; anthers two; caryopsis strongly compressed,
stipitate.

Native;
occurs in Qld on the tip of Cape York Penin. and from Cooktown S to near
Proserpine.; also occurs through China southern Asia to Malesia and New
Caledonia; introduced in Cameroon, Africa. Seasonally wet grey sandy silt.;
flowers Apr.-May, July-Aug.; fruits Apr.-May, July-Aug.

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