Iseilema windersii

Iseilema windersii C. E. Hubbard. Hooker's
Icon. Pl.
t.3284 (1935).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Australia,
Bundoran: Hubbard & Winders 7286 (K holo).

Key references
(books and floras):
[1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of
Central Australia
(493), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia
.

Habit. Annual.
Culms erect, 20–40 cm tall, 1–2 -noded. Lateral branches simple or sparsely
branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane,
1–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, 8–16 cm long, 3–6 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface smooth or scaberulous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, composed of rames.

Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 2 in the
cluster. Basal sterile spikelets well-developed, 4 in number. Companion
spikelets developed, male, 4–5 mm long. Companion spikelet glumes muticous.
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, lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 7–8 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic, coriaceous,
without keels, 8–10 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume
lanceolate, coriaceous, 3 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1,
barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret hyaline, 1
-nerved. Fertile florets female.

Fertile lemma 3–5 mm
long, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn from
a sinus, 18–33 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Column 2 mm long. Palea
absent. Anthers 3. Grain 2.5–3.5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Northern Territory, Queensland.

Northern
Territory
: Darwin & Gulf, Barkly Tableland, Central Australia North. Queensland: Burke, Cook, Gregory
North, Mitchell.

Notes. Growing
in cracking clay soils on the Barkly Tableland of N.T. and the Mitchell grass Downs od Qld and a few other localities. Flowers
Feb.--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