Sporobolus pulchellus

Sporobolus pulchellus R. Br. Prodr.  170 (1810).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Cynodonteae.

Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: LT: Brown 6206, 1803, Australia: North Coast, Arnhem Bay [Bay 3] (BM (specimen with '3, Lysispora pulchella B minor, North Coast' in handwriting of R. Br.); ILT: BRI, NEW (photo, BARI), MEL). LT designated by Baaijens & Veldkamp, Blumea 35: 452 (1991).

Key references (books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (170), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia.

Illustrations: [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig. 57N-S).

Habit. Annual or ephemeral. Culms erect, 4–40 cm tall. Lateral branches simple or branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, conduplicate or involute, 1–10 cm long, 0.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, loose or effuse, 1–12 cm long, with spikelets clustered towards branch tips.

Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 0.7–1.5 mm long.

Glumes. Lower glume lanceolate or elliptic, membranous, without keels, 0 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, 1.2–1.5 mm long, membranous, without keels, 1 -nerved.

Florets. Fertile lemma 0.7–1.5 mm long, without keel, 1 -nerved. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers 3. Grain 0.6–0.8 mm long.

Continental Distribution: Tropical Asia and Australasia.

Australian Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland.

Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook.

Notes. Similar to S. lenticularis from which it differs by having smaller spikelets and by the grain usually being quadrangular as opposed to lenticular.

Endemic; mainly in northern N.T., a few collections from elswhere. Grows in open forest (Eucalyptus woodland), roadsides, on deep sands, sandstone, sandy ironstone and rocky hillsides; 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