Echinochloa telmatophila Michael & Vickery. Telopea 1: 44 (1975).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: New South Wales: Central Coast, Lane
Cove National Park, 3 Mar 1962, M. Gray 5201 (HT: CANB-120623,
CANB-120625).
Recent synonyms:
E. walteri auct.
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (228).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (229).
Habit. Annual.
Rhizomes absent. Stolons absent. Culms erect or geniculately ascending or
decumbent, stature robust to moderate, 50–180 cm tall, 5–9 mm diam., 4–6
-noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched.
Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 10–35 cm
long, 7–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes numerous, erect or
ascending, 2–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–35 cm long.
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, linear or elliptic,
dorsally compressed, 3–4.2 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between
glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 3–5 -nerved. Lower glume apex mucronate. Upper glume elliptic, 3–4.2 mm
long, membranous, without keels, 5 -nerved. Upper glume surface spinose,
indumented. Upper glume apex muticous or mucronate or awned. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100
% of length of spikelet, membranous, 7 -nerved, awned. Fertile florets
bisexual.
Fertile lemma 2.9–4.1
mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma apex mucronate. Anthers 3. Grain
1.8–2.3 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales.
Western Australia:
Drummond. Queensland: Maranoa, Mitchell, Moreton, Wide Bay, Cook, North
Kennedy. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast.
Notes.
Diagnostic characteristics include the narrow elliptic spikelets, the uniformly
long awned spikelets, an absent ligule and a relatively small lower glume. Echinochloa
telmatophila belongs to an annual complex of native species that include E.
lacunaria, E. turneriana and E. inundata.
In tropical heaths,
tropical and subtropical rain forests, dry sclerophyll forests, tropical and
subtropical sub-humid woodlands, and semi-arid shrub woodlands. Flowers
Dec.-Apr.
