Paraneurachne muelleri

Paraneurachne muelleri (Hack.) S. T. Blake.
Contr. Queensland Herb. 13: 21 (1972).

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

Basionym and/or
Replacement Name:
 Neurachne
muelleri
Hack., Prodr. 196 (1810).

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Australia:  Mueller (W holo, MEL).

Recent synonyms:
Neurachne muelleri.

Key references
(books and floras):
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1
Gramineae (271 as Neurachne clementii), [1981] M.Lazarides in
J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central Australia (486), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (502).

Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (503, fig. 432).

Habit.
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms erect, 15–45 cm tall, 0.7–1.2 mm diam.
Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–0.8
mm long. Leaf-blades 1–12 cm long, 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle oblong, 2.7–3.5 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm
wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. 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, ovate, dorsally
compressed, 7.4–12 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Lower glume apex awned. Upper glume ovate, 7.4–12 mm long,
coriaceous, without keels, 11–13 -nerved. Upper glume surface indumented. Upper
glume apex awned. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, male, with palea.
Lemma of lower sterile floret 75 % of length of spikelet, coriaceous, much
thinner above, 7 -nerved.

Fertile lemma 5.5–7 mm
long, without keel, 5–7 -nerved. Palea 2 -nerved. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Grain 2.1–3.25 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland.

Western Australia:
Keartland, Fortescue, Ashburton, Carnarvon, Austin. Northern Territory:
Barkly Tableland, Central Australia North, Central Australia South. South
Australia
: North-western. Queensland: Burke, South Kennedy, Gregory
North, Gregory South, Mitchell.

Notes. In arid
and semi-arid low woodlands, shrub steppe shrublands, acacia shrublands, arid
tussock grasslands, and arid hummock grasslands. 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