Schizachyrium crinizonatum S. T. Blake. Contr.
Queensland Herb. 17: 22 (1974).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Andropogoneae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: S.T. Blake 17477, 26 Apr 1947,
Australia: Northern Territory: near (NW of) Katherine, wet sandy margins of
small streams, alt. ca. 150–160 m, green to reddish annual with solitary or
tufted, more or less spreading culums to 60 cm (BRI-106885; IT: L, MO-3748787,
US-2959130).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Habit. Annual.
Culms 20–40 cm tall, 0.35–0.6 mm diam., 6–9 -noded. Mid-culm internodes
glabrous or pubescent. Lateral branches branched. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous.
Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate or
convolute, 2–5.5 cm long, 0.9–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid or compound, a rame, a panicle of rames. Rhachis fragile at
the nodes.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile, 1 in the cluster. Companion spikelets pedicelled, 1 in the
cluster. Companion spikelets rudimentary, comprising 2 unequal glumes without
lemmas, 0.8–2 mm long. Companion spikelet glumes awned. 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 ovate, laterally compressed, 4.5–6.7 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate,
chartaceous, keeled, 2-keeled, wingless. Lower glume surface glabrous. Upper
glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface
asperulous. Upper glume apex dentate. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1,
barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 75 % of length
of spikelet, hyaline.
Fertile lemma 4–5 mm
long, without keel, 1 -nerved. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 1 -awned. Median
(principal) awn from a sinus, 16–23 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Column 5–8.5 mm long. Palea absent. Grain 2.5–3.4 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia:
Gardner, Hall. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland:
Burke, Cook, North Kennedy.
Notes. A fairly
rare annual usually growing with other Schizachyrium species in sandy
soils of tropical Australia. Flowers Mar.--July.
