Notodanthonia longifolia (R.Br.)
Veldkamp
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Common name
Longleaf Wallaby Grass
Derivation
Notodanthonia Zotov, New Zealand J. Bot. 1: 104 (1963); from the
Greek notos (south), thus the southern Danthonias.
longifolia- from the Latin longus (long) and folium (leaf). With long leaf-blades.
Published in
Taxon 29: 296 (1980).
Common synonyms
Rytidosperma longifolium (R.Br) Connor & Edgar
Danthonia longifolia R.Br.
Habit
Perennial, tufted. Young shoots intravaginal. Culms 3075 cm tall. Leaves
mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
Leaf-blades curled, filiform, involute, 1535 cm long, 12 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle contracted, linear, 515 cm long.
Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 56 fertile
florets, with diminished florets at the apex, cuneate, laterally compressed,
712 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below
each fertile floret. Floret callus evident, pilose.
Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma, gaping. Lower glume
lanceolate, 712 mm long, 90% length of upper glume, scarious, 5-nerved.
Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, 1011 mm long, 300%
of length of adjacent fertile lemma, scarious, 5-nerved. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, 1.43 mm long, chartaceous, 9-nerved. Lemma surface
pilose, with a transverse fringe of hair. Lemma hairs 4 mm long. Lemma apex
lobed, 2-fid, attenuate, incised 20% of lemma length, 3-awned. Median (principal)
awn from a sinus, geniculate, 711 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Lateral lemma awns present, arising on apex of lobes, 6 mm long, shorter than
principal. Palea 2.43.6 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile
though underdeveloped. Lodicules 2, cuneate, fleshy, ciliate. Anthers 3, 0.91.6
mm long. Grain with adherent pericarp, 1.11.3 mm long.
Continental Distribution:
Australasia.
Australian Distribution:
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Queensland: Port Curtis, Burnett, Darling Downs, Moreton. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains. Victoria: Wannon, Riverina, Midlands, Otway Plain, Otway Range, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, East Gippsland.
Classification. (GPWG
2001):
Danthonioideae: Danthonieae
Notes
Altitude 2001000 m (near Armidale on edge of scarp), along the east coast
from southern Queensland to the South Australian border, common in open woodland,
in light shade; often recorded from rocky places. Flowers Nov.Dec. It
is not easily confused with any other species.
Habit (photo)
© P. Linder