Spartochloa scirpoidea (Steud.)
C.E.Hubb.
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Derivation
Spartochloa C.E.Hubb., Kew Bull. 7: 308 (1952); from the Greek
spartos (Spanish broom) and chloe (grass), referring to the almost
leafless habit of the plants.
scirpoidea- similar in habit to Scirpus.
Published in
Kew Bull. 7: 308 (1952).
Habit
Perennial, densely tufted. Cataphylls present. Basal leaf sheaths papery, pallid.
Young shoots extravaginal. Culms erect, 5070 cm tall, wiry. Leaves with
blades commonly suppressed, transferring photosynthetic function to sheath and
culm. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5
mm long. Leaf-blades disarticulating from the sheaths, triangular to linear,
0.53 cm long, 0.51 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade
surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle contracted, linear, 323 cm long,
0.81.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, simple, 0.32
cm long, bearing 15 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches
stiff (on a stiff central axis), terete.
Spikelets
Spikelets appressed, solitary. Pedicels filiform, terete, eglandular, smooth.
Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 48 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 eventually visible between lemmas.
Glumes
Glumes similar, subequal in width, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate,
2.8 mm long, equalling upper glume, membranous, 3-nerved. Lower glume apex acute.
Upper glume ovate, 75% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous,
3-nerved. Upper glume apex acute.
Florets
Fertile lemma ovate, laterally compressed, 3.54.5 mm long, cartilaginous,
57-nerved. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea linear or elliptic
or oblong, 2.8 mm long, 100% of length of lemma, 2-nerved. Palea surface
glabrous. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though
underdeveloped. Lodicules 2, cuneate, fleshy. Anthers 3, 2.3 mm long. Grain
with adherent pericarp, ovoid, trigonous, not grooved, 1.5 mm long. Endosperm
farinose.
Continental Distribution:
Australasia.
Australian Distribution:
Western Australia: Drummond, Menzies, Eyre, Roe, Avon, Coolgardie.
Classification. (GPWG
2001):
Centothecoideae. Later evidence has prompted us to place it in the Centothecoideae.
Notes
Restricted to the semi-arid southern margins of W.A., edges of Casuarina thickets
on flat brown clays. Flowers Sep.Oct.
Inflorescence (photo)
© R. Soreng
Inflorescence and details (line drawing)
© Australian Biological Resources Study
drawing by Enid Mayfield