Eremochloa ciliaris (L.) Merrill. Philipp.
J. Sci. 1: 331 (1906).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae.
Andropogoneae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Nardus ciliaris
L., Sp. Pl. 1: 53 (1753).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: India: Coll?.
Key references
(books and floras): [1969] E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea
(97), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 10–95 cm
tall. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or bearded. Lateral branches simple or sparsely
branched. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or
convolute, 4–27 cm long, 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or
indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a rame. Rhachis fragile at the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets represented by barren pedicels or rudimentary,
containing empty lemmas, 1.5–2 mm long. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the lower
floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal sterile florets,
comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, elliptic, dorsally
compressed, 3.5–4.5 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic,
chartaceous, keeled, 2-keeled, wingless, 7 -nerved. Lower glume surface
glabrous or indumented. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, 4 mm long,
membranous or chartaceous, keeled, 1-keeled, winged on keel, 3 -nerved. Upper
glume surface glabrous. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, male, with
palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline.
Fertile lemma 2.5 mm
long, without keel, 0 -nerved. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland.
Queensland:
Cook.
Notes. Extends
from northern Cape York Peninsular to Burma and southern China. Grows on sandy
soil in savanna woodland. Flowers Jan. and June.
