Yakirra muelleri (Hughes) Lazarides
& R.D.Webster. Brunonia 7: 294 (1984).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Ichnanthus
muelleri Hughes, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew
1923(9): 329 (1923).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Mueller s.n., Australia:
Western Australia: Northern
Province; north-west Australia, near King Sound (K; IT:
MEL, P).
Recent synonyms:
Panicum muelleri (Hughes) Lazarides.
Key references
(books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (262 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.
Derivation: in
honour of Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich Mueller (1825–96), German-born Australian botanist.
Habit. Annual.
Culms erect, 8–30 cm tall, 4–8 -noded. Mid-culm internodes solid or spongy.
Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Lateral branches branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs,
0.4–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or involute, 2–12 cm long, 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface smooth, indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle ovate, 1–8 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, lanceolate or
oblanceolate or elliptic, dorsally compressed, 4.7–5.5 mm long. Rhachilla
internodes elongated between glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, 4.7–5.5 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 2.9–3.4
mm long, without keel. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia: Dampier. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf, Central Australia North. Queensland: Cook, Burke, South
Kennedy, Gregory South, Mitchell, Warrego.
Notes.
The type is from the W Kimberley region of
W.A., and it seems very likely that it is actually a depauperate form of Y.
pauciflora var. pauciflora.
Known from a small
number of specimens from the semi-arid areas of western Qld with few collection
from eastern N.T. and the W Kimberley region
of W.A. In tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid and semi-arid low
woodlands, acacia shrublands, and arid tussock grasslands. Flowers Apr.-July.
