Leersia hexandra Sw. Prodr. Veg. Ind.
Occ. 21 (1788).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Ehrhartoideae. Tribe Oryzeae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Swartz s.n., Jamaica (S; IT: BM).
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (210 as L.
australis), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (549), [1969]
E.E.Henty, Manual Grasses New Guinea (117), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (292),
[2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2
(360).
Illustrations:
[1984] N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (173), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley
& D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (292), [2009].
A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia
44A: Poaceae 2 (363, Fig. 49).
Habit. Annual
or perennial. Rhizomes present, elongated. Culms erect or geniculately
ascending or decumbent or aquatic, 30–150 cm tall. Mid-culm nodes pubescent.
Lateral branches simple. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–2 mm long, scarious,
truncate. Leaf-blades 6–20 cm long, 2–16 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface
scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic or oblong, 5–13.5 cm long,
1–4 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, oblong, laterally compressed,
(3.2–)3.4–4.8(–5.2) mm long.
Florets.
Fertile lemma (3.2–)3.4–4.8(–5.2) mm long, keeled, 5 -nerved. Lemma apex
muticous. Palea present, 3 -nerved, 1-keeled. Palea apex entire. Lodicules
present. Anthers 6.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, North America,
and South America.
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland, New
South Wales.
Northern Territory: Darwin &
Gulf. Queensland: Burnett, Cook,
Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Wide Bay.
New South Wales: North
Coast, Central Coast.
Notes. Widely
distributed throughout the tropics. Usually in swamps and creeks, waterholes,
lakes; substrate sand, peat, clay. Flowers Mar.-Sept.
