Urochloa gilesii (Benth.) D.K.Hughes. Kew
Bull. 1923, 319 (1923).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum gilesii
Benth., Fl. Austral. 7: 477 (1878).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Giles s.n., Australia: Northern
Territory: Charlotte Waters (K).
Recent synonyms:
Brachiaria gilesii.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (477 as Panicum
gilesii), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central
Australia (475 as Brachiaria), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia (as Brachiaria), [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (427 as Brachiaria),
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales (395).
Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (428, fig. 357 as Brachiaria), [2008]
S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales,
4th edn (395).
Habit. Annual.
Rhizomes absent. Stolons absent. Culms decumbent, 15–40 cm tall, 3–5 -noded.
Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Mid-culm nodes pubescent or bearded. Leaf-sheaths
hairy. Ligule a fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs, a ciliate membrane.
Leaf-blades lanceolate, 2–10 cm long, 3–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous
or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 3–5, 1.5–4 cm long, 3–6
mm wide. Central inflorescence axis 1–4 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile. 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, ovate, dorsally
compressed, 2.3–5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile
floret.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, hyaline, without
keels, 0–1(–3) -nerved. Upper glume ovate, 2.3–4.9 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 7–9 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous or indumented. Upper glume
apex muticous or mucronate. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, male or
barren, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet,
membranous, 7 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2–2.5 mm
long, without keel. Lemma apex mucronate or awned. Median (principal) awn 0.5
mm long overall. Palea without keels.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South
Wales.
Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf, Central Australia North, Central Australia South. South
Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre, Eastern. Queensland: Burke,
Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Maranoa, Mitchell, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South
Kennedy, Warrego, Moreton, Gregory North, Gregory South. New South Wales:
North-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains.
Endemic. Central and
eastern Australia, particularly in arid regions; not as yet recorded from W.A.
Brigalow forests, tropical and subtropical subhumid woodlands, semi-arid shrub
woodlands, shrub steppe shrublands, Acacia
shrublands, arid tussock grasslands, and arid hummock grasslands. Flowering
mostly Dec. to May.