Triodia aeria

Triodia aeria
M. Lazarides. Austral. Syst. Bot. 10: 400 (1997).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Western Australia: Northern Province; Mt. House,
Lat 17º05' S. Long. 125º46' E, 5.v.1983., P.A. Fryxell & L.A. Craven
3962
(HT: CANB; IT: CANB, PERTH).

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

Illustrations:
[2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig.
36S-U).

Habit.
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms erect, 10–50 cm tall, 1–2 -noded. Lateral
branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath
auricles absent. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.7–1 mm long. Leaf-blades spreading
or recurved, filiform, conduplicate, 2–7(–10) cm long, 0.7 mm wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, 7–15 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (3–4), comprising 3–4 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the
apex, lanceolate, laterally compressed or terete, 9 mm long. Rhachilla
internodes elongated between glumes.

Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, scarious or
cartilaginous, without keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous.
Lower glume apex muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, 7–9 mm long, scarious or
cartilaginous, without keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or
scabrous, glabrous.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 4 mm long, without keel or keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex lobed,
awned, 3 -awned. Median (principal) awn 5–8 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns
present. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia.

Western Australia:
Gardner, Fitzgerald.

Notes.
Distinguishing characters include the reduced, raceme-like, sparse, simple
panicle; deeply lobed lemmas; long palea relative to the lemma; much branched
fastigiate culms; the production of aerial roots on the culms and stolons.

Restricted
to the Mt. House area of W.A. Fine skeletal soils on shales on exposed lower
hillslopes or scree slopes; flowers most probably in Feb.-March after summer
rains.

 

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