Amphibromus archeri (Hook.f.) P.Morris, Victorian Naturalist 51: 146, t. 26, 2-3 (1934).

Danthonia archeri Hook.f., Fl. Tasmania 2: 122, pl. CLXIII. 1 (1858). T: Cheshunt, Tas., Archer 28; lecto: K, isolecto: NSW.
A. archeri var. papillosus P.Morris, nom. nud., Victorian Naturalist 51: 147 (1934).
A. neesi sensu Rodway, Tasman. Fl. 269 (1903), pro parte, non Steud.

Vegetative form. Perennial, caespitose. Basal culm internodes often swollen. Culms to 120 cm high, 2-5 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed, constricted. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous to scabrous, terete. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete, glabrous or pilose (?, occasionally just above the node), with the veins equally striate. Ligule 4.5-12.5 mm long, membranous, acute, entire (becoming lacerated with age). Leaf blades flat or involute, linear, to 320 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide; adaxially scabrous (on the veins), channelled; abaxially glabrous to abaxially scabrous, with the veins equally striate.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Incomplete spikelets absent. Inflorescence of cleistogamous spikelets, or chasmogamous spikelets (with cleistogamous and/or chasmogamous florets).

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, erect, open or contracted, symmetrical, partially exserted or fully exserted (?). Rachides to 350 mm long, terete (becoming angled toward apex), glabrous (becoming scabrous toward apex). Primary inflorescence branches scabrous; paired or clustered (to 15 cm long), appressed. Spikelets erect, spreading.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 12-18 mm long, laterally compressed, not disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels to 25 mm long, scabrous. Glumes two per spikelet, dissimilar (green, often with purple markings), unequal in length, shorter than the florets, slightly shorter than the proximal lemma (?). Lower glume c. 2/3s the length of the upper glume (?), ovate, 4.8-6.8 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide, weakly keeled, acuminate to acute, muticous, margin hyaline; 3-5 veined, midvein glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume ovate to elliptic, 6.4-9.2 mm long, 2-3.2 mm wide, weakly keeled, acute, muticous or mucronate, margin hyaline; 5-7 veined, midvein glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Rudimentary florets distal to the hermaphrodite florets. Incomplete florets absent. Hermaphrodite florets 3-7 per spikelet (cleistogamous and/or chasmogamous). Rachilla disarticulating between the florets, disarticulating directly below the florets, pubescent (?, segments bearded at the apex; often blackish-purple), apically prolonged; terminated by a rudimentary floret. Callus present, blunt, hirsute (?, often purplish). Lemma laterally compressed, 6-8 mm long, not keeled, dentate (4 teeth, the inner 2 2.7-3.8 mm long, the outer 2 usually shorter or not developed), 2 -lobed, awned. Lemma 7 veined (the nerves extending to the margins and into hispid usually purplish bristles). Lemma veins not confluent apically, glabrous or papillose (?); intercostal regions glabrous (and shining) or papillose. Awns 1, median. Median awn much longer than the body of the lemmas, 14.5-18 mm long, 1 veined, dorsal, arising from the upper half of the lemma to from the mid-point of the lemma (1/3 of the lemma length from the tip to just above the midpoint), geniculate, column twisted, scabrous (pale green to dark purple-brown). Palea fully developed, slightly shorter than the lemmas (c. 3/4 the lemma), 2-keeled, keels wingless, acute; 2 veined, veins ciliate; intercostal regions glabrous, or intercostal regions papillose (often purplish with the keels darker in colour). Lodicules 2, free, hyaline, glabrous. Stamens 3. Anthers 2.3-3.5 mm long. Cleistogamous anthers 0.5-0.65 mm long.

Fruit. Fruit free from both lemma and palea, oblong, dorsiventrally compressed (dorsally), 1.7-2.2 mm long, glabrous (yellow-brown). Hilum 30-35% the fruit length, linear (red-brown). Embryo 20-30% the fruit length.

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

Ecology. In damp areas such as lagoons, waterholes and swamps.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: Tas.: Epping Forest, 22 Dec. 1955, W.M.Curtis (HO).

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae.

References. Morphology: Jacobs & Lapinpuro 2: 726-7 (1986); Morris 58 (1991).

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