Yakirra australiensis (Domin)
Lazarides & R.D.Webster. Brunonia 7: 293 (1984).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Common Name: Bunch Panic
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
australiense Domin, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 41: 271, t. 10, f. 7; t. 11,
f. 8–12 (1912).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia:
Western Australia: Northern
Province: between Ashburton and Yule River,
E. Clement s.n. (HT: K).
Recent synonyms:
Ichnanthus australiesis (Domin)Hughes.
Key references
(books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1
Gramineae (261 as Ichnanthus), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop
(ed)., Flora of Central Australia (471 as Panicum), [2002]
D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006]
J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (495).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (263, Pl.76 as Ichnanthus),
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (496, fig. 427 as var. australiensis).
Habit. Annual
or perennial. Culms erect, 5–30 cm tall, 5–10 -noded. Mid-culm internodes solid
or spongy. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or pubescent. Lateral branches branched.
Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or involute, 3–10 cm
long, 0.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic, 2–5 cm long, evenly
furnished.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. 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, elliptic or oblong,
dorsally compressed, 3.2–4.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between
glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic or ovate,
membranous, without keels, 3–5 -nerved. Upper glume elliptic or oblong, 3–4.3
mm long, membranous, without keels, 7 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile
florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100
% of length of spikelet, membranous, 7 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2.3–3 mm
long, without keel. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland.
Western Australia: Gardner,
Fitzgerald, Dampier. Canning, Keartland, Fortescue, Carnarvon, Austin. Northern Territory: Victoria
River, Barkly Tableland, Central
Australia North, Central Australia South. South Australia: North-western, Lake
Eyre. Queensland:
Burke, Gregory North, Gregory South, Mitchell.
Notes. Infra
-specific taxa: var. australiensis, var. intermedia.
Primary branches
appressed to main axis Y.
australiensis var. australiensis
Primary branches exserted and spreading Y. australiensis var. intermedia
