Agrostis rudis Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 2: 360 (1817).

Lachnagrostis rudis (Roem. & Schult.) Trin., Fund. Agrost. 128 (1820); Calamagrostis rudis (Roem. & Schult.) Steud., Syn. Pl. Glumac. 192 (1854).
A. scabra R.Br., Prodr. 172 (1810), non Willd. (1798); Vilfa scabra (R.Br.) P.Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. 16 (1812); Deyeuxia scabra (R.Br.) Kunth, Révis. Gramin. 1: 77 (1829)

Vegetative form. Annual, erect or geniculate and ascending, loosely caespitose. Culms to 40(-80) cm high, 3-4 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed. Mid-culm internodes retrorsely scabrous. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete, glabrous (upper sheaths scaberulous), with the veins equally striate. Ligule to 4 mm long, membranous, obtuse, becoming laciniate. Leaf blades flat, linear, to 170 mm long, to 4 mm wide; adaxially scabrous, shallowly grooved; abaxially glabrous or abaxially scabrous; with margins scabrous, apices acuminose; convolute in bud.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Incomplete spikelets absent. Inflorescence of chasmogamous spikelets.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, large, green or green and purple, open, symmetrical. Rachides to 120 mm long, strap-like (i.e. compressed). Primary inflorescence branches antrorsely scabrous, spreading (compressed), filiform, verticillate. Spikelets 1 on a typical ultimate inflorescence branch, branches usually binately or ternately twice divided.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 2.5-3 mm long, laterally compressed, not disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels slender, clavate, compressed. Glumes two per spikelet, similar, subequal, exceeding the florets, longer than the proximal lemma. Lower glume longer than the upper glume, c. 2.5 mm long, membranous, slightly keeled, acute, muticous, margin ciliolate (especially toward the apex); 1 veined, midvein scabrous; intercostal regions glabrous, or intercostal regions scabrous. Upper glume membranous, slightly keeled, acute, muticous, margin ciliolate (especially toward the apex); 1 veined, midvein scabrous; intercostal regions glabrous, or intercostal regions scabrous. Rudimentary florets absent. Incomplete florets absent. Hermaphrodite florets 1 per spikelet. Rachilla hairy, apically prolonged; prolongation to 0.6 mm long. Callus present, blunt, sparsely and minutely or densely bearded. Lemma less firm than the glumes, laterally compressed, ovate, 2-2.3 mm long, shining, firmly membranous, not keeled, truncate, dentate, 4 -lobed; awned. Lemma 5 veined. Lemma veins not confluent apically (lateral veins prolonged as short teeth), prominent (toward apex), glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Awns 1, median. Median awn about as long as the body of the lemmas, to 2 mm long, 1 veined, subapical. Palea fully developed, slightly shorter than the lemmas, membranous (shining). Lodicules 2, hyaline, ovate. Stamens 3. Anthers 0.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Styles 2, free to their bases.

Fruit. Fruit elliptical or oblong, 1.25 mm long, glabrous.

Distribution. Endemic. Tasmania, Victoria, and South Australia.

Ecology. Mesophytic. In damp areas on margins of forest from sea level to 1200 m altitude.

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae.

Very similar to A. aequata, which may be a variety of A. rudis.

References. Morphology: Morris 81-82 (1991); Vickery 107 (1941).

Cite this publication as:
C.M. Weiller, M.J. Henwood, J. Lenz and L. Watson (1995 onwards). `Pooideae (Poaceae) in Australia - Descriptions and Illustrations'. URL http://muse.bio.cornell.edu/delta/
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993) should also be cited.

References and Acknowledgements