Common name
Slender Canegrass

Derivation
Leptochloa P.Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 71 (1812); from the Greek leptos (slender) and chloa (a grass), referring to inflorescences.

decipiens- from the Latin decipio (decieve). Resembling another species, or in some other way deceptive.

Published in
Agric. Gaz. New South Wales 20: 307 (1909).

Common synonyms
Leptochloa ciliolata (Jedwabn.) S.T.Blake
Leptochloa debilis Stapf & C.E.Hubb.
Leptochloa peacockii (Maiden & Betche) Domin

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Basal leaf sheaths glabrous or sparsely hairy or pilose or hirsute. Young shoots extravaginal or intravaginal. Culms slender, 16–150 cm tall, wiry. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched or branched. Ligule an eciliate or a fringed membrane, 0.8–2 mm long, lacerate. Leaf-blades 1.7–21 cm long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous or hairy.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 5–25, unilateral, 5–16 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4–50 cm long. Rhachis angular or semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis, regular, 2-rowed. Raceme-bases 3–14 mm long.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary or in pairs. Pedicels 0.5–2.5 mm long. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 3–8 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 2.5–6 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Glumes
Lower glume lanceolate or ovate, 0.75–1.8 mm long, 50–75% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Lower glume apex acute or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic or oblong or ovate or obovate, 1.2–2.5 mm long, 75–120% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume apex emarginate or obtuse or acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic or oblong or ovate or obovate, 1.5–2.8 mm long, membranous, 3-nerved. Lemma midnerve eciliate or pubescent. Lemma lateral nerves close to margins. Lemma surface smooth or scaberulous. Lemma margins ciliolate or ciliate or pubescent. Lemma apex emarginate or truncate or obtuse, mucronate. Palea 2-nerved. Palea keels scaberulous, eciliate or ciliate. Palea surface glabrous or puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Anthers 0.3 mm long. Grain with free soft pericarp, ellipsoid or oblong, terete or dorsally compressed, trigonous, truncate or obtuse.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland: Cook, Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, Moreton, Mitchell, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, Northern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae

Notes
Native. There are three subspecies.

Leptochloa decipiens subsp. asthenes (Roem. & Schult.) N.Snow
In Qld occurring inland to about 400 km and in all coastal regions except Cape York Penin., and in N.S.W. known from the eastern third of the state to just N of the Hunter R. area. Eastern Australia (Qld and N.S.W.) and New Caledonia. Flowers throughout the year as conditions allow.

Leptochloa decipiens (R.Br.) Stapf ex Maiden subsp. decipiens
Near coastal regions of Qld and northern N.S.W. and inland to about 600 km around the border. Eastern Australia (Qld and N.S.W.) and New Caledonia. Flowers throughout the year as conditions allow.

Leptochloa decipiens subsp. peacockii (Maiden & Betche) N.Snow
Occurs 100 to 600 km inland from the coast in the southern half of Qld and the northern third of N.S.W., and also collected from Middle Percy Island off the Qld coast near Mackay. Eastern Australia (Qld and N.S.W.) and New Caledonia. Flowers throughout the year as conditions allow.