Paspalum plicatulum* Michx. Fl.
Bor. Amer. 1: 45 (1803).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: A. Michaux s.n., USA: in Georgia or
Florida (P-MICHX; IT: US-2942519 (fragm. ex P-MICHX)).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present, short. Stolons absent. Culms erect or geniculately
ascending or decumbent, 30–120 cm tall, 5–12 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous.
Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles
absent, or present. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat
or conduplicate, 8–30 cm long, 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, glabrous
or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 2–7, spreading, 2–15 cm
long, 9–12 mm wide, bearing 50–90 fertile spikelets on each. Central
inflorescence axis 3–15 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
obovate, dorsally compressed, 2.3–3.2 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate, 2.5–2.8 mm long, hyaline or
membranous, without keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous or
indumented. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without
significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet,
membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2–3 mm
long, without keel.
Continental
Distribution: Temperate Asia, Australasia, North America, and South
America.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia:
Gardner. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook,
Moreton, South Kennedy, Wide Bay.
Notes. Paspalum
plicatulum belongs to a morphologically confusing group in need of detailed
study. A number of cultivars have been introduced to Australia, of which the best
known are cv.Rodd's Bay, cv.Hartley and cv.Bryan.
.
Introduced. In
tropical heaths, tropical and subtropical rain forests, Brigalow forests, and
tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands. Flowers Mar.-July.
