Enneapogon caerulescens (Gaudich.) N. T. Burbidge. Proc. Linn. Soc. London 153: 87 (1941).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Chloridoideae. Pappophoreae.
Basionym and/or Replacement Name: Pappophorum caerulescens Gaudich., Voy. Bonite, Bot..
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: T: Gaudichaud s.n., Australia: Western Australia: Sharks Bay (BM, K).
Key references (books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (33), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central Australia (455), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (332).
Illustrations: [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3 (Fig31F-K), [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (332, fig. 264).
Habit. Annual or perennial. Culms 10–40 cm tall. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat or involute, 1 mm wide.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle oblong or ovate, 1–2(–4) cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1 or more flowered, with 1 fertile floret (1–2), comprising 1–2 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 2.7–9.2 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without keels, 5–7(–11) -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume ovate, 2.7–9.2 mm long, membranous, without keels, 5–7(–11) -nerved. Upper glume surface scabrous, indumented. Upper glume apex entire or erose.
Florets. Fertile lemma 1.6–2.8 mm long, without keel, 9–13 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented. Lemma apex dentate or lobed, awned, 9 -awned. Median (principal) awn 3–10 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns present. Lodicules present. Anthers 3. Grain 1.2–2 mm long.
Continental Distribution: Australasia.
Australian Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia.
Western Australia: Giles, Fortescue, Ashburton, Carnarvon, Austin. Eucla. Northern Territory: Central Australia South. South Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre, Nullabor, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula.
Notes. Distinctive features include the presence of axillary panicles and cleistogenes, the unequal spikelets in upper and lower parts of the panicle, and the relatively long hairs on lobes and palea keels. Also the body of the basal lemma is strongly ribbed, short relative to its lobes, and usually covered by the long, dorsal hairs. The species is variable in relation to duration, axillary inflorescences, hermaphrodite florets and the other features which characterise var. occidentalis. Hence, the variety is not recognised.
Distributed in the arid regions of W.A., N.T. and S.A. In sand.
