Pseudoraphis spinescens (R. Br.) Vickery. Proc.
Roy. Soc. Queensland
62: 69 (1952).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
spinescens R. Br., Prod. 193 (1810).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: R. Brown, Australia:
New South Wales:
near Port Jackson (BM).
Recent synonyms:
P. aspera.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (498 as Chamaerhaphis
spinescens), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae
(240 as P. abortiva), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of
Central Australia (482), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass,
Grasses of Australia (& as P. abortiva), [2006] J.Jessop,
G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (476), [2008]
S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales
(358).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western
Australia 1 Gramineae (239, Pl.70), [1984]
N.T.Burbidge. rev. S.W.L.Jacobs, Australian Grasses (2252), [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst,
F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (475, Fig. 408), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley
& D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (358).
Habit.
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms prostrate or aquatic, 10–50 cm tall. Mid-culm
nodes pubescent. Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 1.2–4.1 mm
long. Leaf-blades floating, straight or curled, filiform or linear, flat, 3–12
cm long, (1–)4(–7) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 8–30, spreading, 1.5–7 cm
long. Central inflorescence axis 3–15 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, lanceolate,
dorsally compressed, (3–)3.3–8 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate, hyaline, without
keels, 0 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 3.3–7.9 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 7–11 -nerved. Florets. Basal sterile florets 1, male, with palea.
Lemma of lower sterile floret 70 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5–9
-nerved.
Fertile lemma 1.3–1.6
mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Palea without keels.
Continental
Distribution: Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, and Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Western Australia: Gardner,
Fitzgerald, Hall, Dampier. Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf, Victoria River, Central Australia North. South
Australia: Lake Eyre, Murray,
Southern Lofty, South-eastern. Queensland:
Burke, Burnett, Cook, Darling Downs, Gregory North, Maranoa, Mitchell, Moreton,
North Kennedy, Port Curtis, Warrego, Wide
Bay, South Kennedy,
Leichhardt, Gregory South. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast,
North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes,
North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Grampians, Midlands, Murray Mallee, Riverina, Wannon, Wimmera.
Notes.
A morphologically diverse species. Contrasts with P. brunoniana, a
species from Burma and Ceylon, are not
clear.
In dry sclerophyll
forests, tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid and semi-arid low
woodlands, eucalypt shrublands, and coastal grasslands. Occurring over a wide
area. Flowers throughout the year, depending on location.
