Amphibromus whitei C.E.Hubb. |
Common name
Small Swamp Wallaby Grass
Derivation
Amphibromus Nees, Lond. J. Bot. 2: 420 (1843); from the Greek
amphi (about, near) and bromos (food, the oat), rightly alluding
to similarity with Avena (not Bromus).
whitei- named for Cyril Tenison White (1890-1950), formerly Queensland Government Botanist.
Published in
Bull. Misc. Inform. 30 (1941).
Habit
Perennial, tufted. Basal leaf sheaths persistent and investing base of culm,
with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 2035
cm tall, 3-noded. Lateral branches simple. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths
scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 48 mm long. Leaf-blades 715
cm long, 11.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open, lanceolate, 510 cm long,
11.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels 18 mm long. Fertile spikelets many flowered,
comprising 45 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, oblong,
laterally compressed, 610 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets
disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose. Rhachilla
internodes hairy above. Floret callus pubescent.
Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, 1.52.3
mm long, 7080% length of upper glume, membranous, 13-nerved.
Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate,
2.33 mm long, 6070% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous,
3-nerved. Upper glume apex acute.
Florets
Fertile lemma ovate, 34.5 mm long, chartaceous, 7-nerved. Lemma surface
scabrous or papillose or tuberculate. Lemma apex dentate, 2(4)-fid, 1-awned.
Median (principal) awn dorsal, arising 50100% way up back of lemma,
geniculate, 814 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea keels winged,
narrowly winged, ciliolate, adorned above. Palea apex acute. Rhachilla extension
75% length of fertile floret. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile
though underdeveloped. Anthers 13, 0.30.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent
on apex. Grain with adherent pericarp, 1.3 mm long, hairy at apex. Hilum linear.
Continental Distribution:
Australasia.
Australian Distribution:
Queensland: Maranoa.
Classification. (GPWG
2001):
Pooideae: Aveneae
Notes
Native. Known only from the type location, Qld.
Habit and details (line drawing)
© Tothill and Hacker 1983
drawn by B. Hacker