Paspalidium grandispiculatum

Paspalidium grandispiculatum B.K.Simon. Austrobaileya
1: 465 (1982).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Australia: Queensland: 14 km N of Helidon, Peart
1990
(HT: BRI-255048; IT: BRI, CANB, K, L, MO, NSW).

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
(324).

Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales
, 4th edn (324).

Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, elongated. Culms erect, 40–150 cm tall, woody, 4–9
-noded. Mid-culm internodes hollow, pruinose or glabrous. Lateral branches
sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringed membrane
or a fringe of hairs, 1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, 3.5–9 cm
long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous or scabrous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 5–8, appressed, 0.5–4.5
cm long, 3–4 mm wide, bearing 3–8 fertile spikelets on each. Central
inflorescence axis 8–22 cm long.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Involucre composed of bristles. 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, 3.5–4.8 mm long.

Glumes.
Glumes thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, scarious, without keels,
5–7 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex muticous. Upper
glume elliptic, 3.3–3.9 mm long, membranous, without keels, 7–9 -nerved. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, male, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 %
of length of spikelet, membranous, 5 -nerved.

Fertile lemma 3–4.6 mm
long, without keel, 5–7 -nerved. Lemma apex mucronate. Anthers 3. Grain 3 mm
long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland:
Moreton.

Notes. In
tropical and subtropical rain forests and tropical and subtropical sub-humid
woodlands. Flowers Feb.-Nov.

  

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