Triodia plurinervata

Triodia plurinervata N. T. Burbidge. Austral. J. Bot. 8: 390 (1960).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Western Australia: Eremaean Province; Dorre Island,
Shark Bay, 15 July 1959, R.D. Royce 5884 (HT: CANB; IT: PERTH).

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

Habit.
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms 10–150 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous.
Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a fringe
of hairs. Leaf-blades straight, aciculate, conduplicate, 4–7.5 cm long, 0.5–0.7
mm wide.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Racemes 1, 3–10 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (6–8), comprising 6–8 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the
apex, linear or lanceolate, laterally compressed, (6–)11–17.5 mm long.

Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, scarious or
cartilaginous, without keels, 5–9 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower
glume apex muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, (3–)5–8 mm long, scarious or
cartilaginous, without keels, 5–9 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper
glume apex entire, muticous.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 5–6 mm long, without keel, 11–13 -nerved. Lemma surface
indumented. Lemma apex entire or dentate or lobed, muticous. Anthers 3.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia.

Western Australia:
Canning, Keartland, Austin. Irwin.

Notes.
Distinguished by its spiciform raceme; linear-oblong spikelets; cartilaginous
many-nerved glumes; firm, 3-toothed, strongly 11–13 nerved, partly hirsute,
dorsally rounded lemmas; sparsely ciliate lodicules; stiffly slender, often
horizontal blades with short petioles; purple colouring; and culms branched
from cauline and basal nodes.

Central
Eremaean Province, W.A. Red sand dunes and steppe, often coastal, sandy loam
drainage basin, salt lakes and rocky hilltops; flowers May-July, Sept., Oct.

 

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