Paspalidium criniforme

Paspalidium criniforme S. T. Blake. Proc.
Roy. Soc. Queensland
62: 98 (1952).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: IT: S.T. Blake 5282, 10 Mar 1934, Australia:
Queensland, Moreton, Brisbane (L).

Recent synonyms:
P. gracile var. debile.

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
(323).

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 or geniculately ascending or
decumbent, stature slender to delicate, 10–60 cm tall, 4–7 -noded. Mid-culm
internodes solid or spongy, glabrous. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches
sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule a
fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or
involute, 3–12 cm long, 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous or
scabrous, glabrous or indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 4–6, appressed, flexuous,
0.5–2 cm long, 1–3 mm wide, bearing 3–10 fertile spikelets on each. Central
inflorescence axis 2.5–12 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, lanceolate or elliptic, dorsally
compressed, 2–2.3 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes,
elongated below basal sterile floret, and elongated between basal sterile
florets.

Glumes.
Glumes thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex muticous
or mucronate. Upper glume elliptic, 1.8–2.2 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 1.9–2.3
mm long, without keel. Lemma apex mucronate.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland:
Burnett, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Moreton, Port Curtis, Wide Bay, South
Kennedy. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast,
North-Western Plains.

Notes. In
tropical and subtropical wet sclerophyll forests, dry sclerophyll forests,
tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, and semi-arid shrub woodlands.
Flowers mostly Feb.-July.

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