Paspalidium caespitosum C.E.Hubb. Bull.
Misc. Inform. 446 (1934).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae.
Paniceae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: Queensland: Darling Downs Dist.: near
Goondiwindi, May 1933, Hirschfield s.n. (HT: K).
Key references
(books and floras): [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 (322).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (322).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present. Culms erect, stature slender to delicate, 20–70 cm
tall, 3–7 -noded. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous. Mid-culm nodes
glabrous. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous
on surface. Ligule a fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs, 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades
involute or convolute, 8–25 cm long, 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or
scaberulous or scabrous, glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 7–10, appressed,
flexuous, 0.9–2.5 cm long, 2–3 mm wide, bearing 10–25 fertile spikelets on
each. Central inflorescence axis 8–21 cm long.
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, elliptic or ovate,
dorsally compressed, 1.8–2.2 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate, membranous, without
keels, 1–3 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex muticous.
Upper glume elliptic, 1.5–1.8 mm long, membranous, without keels, 5–7 -nerved. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower
sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 1.7–2.2
mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma apex mucronate.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Burke, Burnett, Cook, Darling Downs, Gregory North, Leichhardt, Maranoa,
Mitchell, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Warrego, Wide
Bay. New South Wales: North-Western Plains.
Notes.
Closely related to D. distans.
In Brigalow forests,
tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, semi-arid shrub woodlands, acacia
shrublands, and arid tussock grasslands. Flowers mostly Feb.-Sept.
