Common name
Plains Grass

Derivation
Austrostipa S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett, Telopea 6: 582 (1996); from the Latin austro (south or southern) and Stipa (the name of a related genus), referring to the Australian distribution of the species.

aristiglumis- from the Latin arista, (bristle) and gluma (husk). Referring to the awned glumes.

Published in
Telopea 6: 584 (1996).

Common synonyms
Stipa aristiglumis F.Muell.
Stipa fusiformis Hughes

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect, 100–200 cm tall, 2.5 mm diam., 3-noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous or pubescent. Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths ribbed, smooth or scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.8–3 mm long, truncate or obtuse. Leaf-blades flat or convolute, 20–40 cm long, 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or scaberulous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle, exserted. Panicle open, lanceolate, 20–40(–55) cm long, 6–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 10–20 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels flattened, 6–12 mm long, scabrous. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, linear, terete, 8–14 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus curved. Floret callus evident, 0.4–1 mm long, pubescent, obtuse.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, 8–14 mm long, equalling upper glume, membranous, 3-nerved. Lower glume surface smooth or asperulous, rough generally or on nerves. Lower glume apex attenuate or setaceously acuminate. Upper glume oblong, 6–12 mm long, membranous, 5-nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or asperulous, rough generally or on nerves. Upper glume apex attenuate or setaceously acuminate.

Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, subterete, 4–7.5 mm long, coriaceous, light brown or dark brown, 5-nerved. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins convolute, covering most of palea. Lemma hairs yellow. Lemma apex entire or lobed, without appendage or surmounted by an obscure coma of hairs, sometimes barely discernable from the general lemma indumentum, with this appendage 0.4–1.5 mm long, 1-awned. Median (principal) awn bigeniculate, 25–40 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Middle segment of lemma awn 6–8 mm long. Column 4–17 mm long, scabrous, with 0.1–0.2 mm long hairs. Palea 100% of length of lemma, 2-nerved, without keels. Lodicules 2, 0.5–1.8 mm long. Anthers 3, 2–3 mm long. Anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Grain with adherent pericarp, 3–4.5 mm long. Embryo 33–50% of length of grain. Hilum linear, 75–90% of length of caryopsis.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.

Queensland: Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Darling Downs, Moreton. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Wimmera, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Stipeae

Notes
Native. On heavy soils west of the Great Dividing Range from southern Queensland to Victoria.
The callus is very short relative to the overall length of the floret in this species.

Return to Top