Triodia claytonii Lazarides. Fl.
Austral. 43:375
(2002).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Chloridoideae. Triodeae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Plectrachne
mollis Lazarides, Nuytsia 5(2): 279 (1984) [1985].
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: Northern Province: 19 km N of Mitchell
Plateau mining camp on track to Port Warrender; 14.42'S;125.47'E; 7 Dec 1982, Kenneally
8656 (HT:CANB; IT:PERTH).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Illustrations:
[2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig.
38A-C).
Habit.
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms erect, 40–100 cm tall, 2–3 -noded. Lateral
branches branched. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.2
mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, conduplicate, 10–40 cm long, 0.5–2 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, 9–15 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1 or more flowered, with 1 fertile
floret, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex,
elliptic, laterally compressed, 3–7.5 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous
or scarious, without keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower
glume apex muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, 4.5–7.5 mm long, membranous or
scarious, without keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Upper glume surface asperulous,
glabrous. Upper glume apex entire, muticous.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 2.3–2.5 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma surface
indumented. Lemma apex lobed, awned, 3 -awned. Median (principal) awn 6–9 mm
long overall. Lateral lemma awns present. Palea 2 -nerved. Palea apex with
excurrent keel nerves. Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Queensland.
Western Australia:
Gardner. Queensland: Cook.
Notes.
Distinguishing characters include the small spikelet with one hermaphrodite
floret; glumes longer than the spikelet; lemma with transverse demarcation and
usually inner thickening; palea bitextured, pubescent, slightly longer than the
body of its lemma; non-resinous slender foliage and few-noded culms branched
from the mid-culm nodes.
Recorded
from the NW Northern Province of W.A., and from the N.T. Associated with
laterite, sandstone and basalt in shallow or skeletal soil, sandy pockets, and
rocky sites near waterfalls, waterholes and in gorges; flowers Dec., Jan.
