Homopholis

Homopholis Bull. Misc. Inform. 127 (1934).

Derivation:. From Greek homos (alike) and pholis (horny scale).

Key references (keys and floras):. J.C.Tothill and J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland 266–267 (1983); R.D.Webster, Australian Paniceae 95–96 (1987); B.K.Simon, Key to Australian Grasses 124 (1993); S.W.L.Jacobs and C.A.Wall, Flora of New South Wales 4: 462–463 (1993); N.G. Walsh, Flora of Victoria 2: 605–606 (1994); D.Sharp and B.K.Simon, AusGrass (2002); S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th ed, 276 (2008).

W.D.Clayton & S.A.Renvoize, Genera Graminum (1986), genus (520).

Native, endemic. 1 species, from subtropical and temperate eastern Australia. Qld and NSW.

Habit. Perennial, stoloniferous (often) or tufted. Leaf blades narrow. Ligule an unfringed membrane.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence paniculate, an open panicle with branches ending in single spikelets, open (up to 25 cm long, the branches to 15 cm with one or few spikelets towards their ends).

Spikelets. Spikelets dorsally compressed, 2 flowered, with 1 fertile floret, solitary. Fertile spikelets with lower incomplete floret(s), lanceolate, falling with glumes.

Glumes. Glumes more or less equal (the lower glume. slightly longer), long relative to adjacent lemmas, pointed, awnless, dissimilar to similar (the upper shortly hairy on the back). Lower glume 5–7 nerved. Upper glume 7 nerved.

Florets. Lower incomplete floret(s) sterile. Lemmas similar to upper glume, awnless, 7 nerved, exceeding fertile lemmas, less firm than fertile lemmas, not becoming indurated. Fertile florets 1. Lemmas about half the spikelet length, shortly beaked, decidedly firmer than glumes, smooth, becoming indurated (slightly so, and shiny), yellow in fruit, entire at apex, pointed, muticous (but rostrate), with a clear germination flap, 5–7 nerved, glabrous, having flat margins not tucked into palea, not keeled. Palea relatively long, entire, thinner than lemma (membranous), 2 nerved. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Grain small, compressed dorsiventrally. Hilum short. Embryo large.

Kranz Anatomy. C3.

Habitat. In forests. Shade species.

Classification. Panicoideae; Paniceae.

Notes. It is closely related to the recently recognised genus Walwhalleya (q.v.) (B.K.Simon).

Types Species. H. belsonii C.E.Hubb.

Biogeographic Element. Clifford & Simon 1981, Simon & Jacobs 1990: Endemic.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith