Amphibromus recurvatus Swallen, Amer. J. Bot. 18: 415 (1931).

T: Broad R. Valley National Park, Tas., Feb. 1919, L.Rodway; holo: US, iso: MEL, NSW

Vegetative form. Perennial, caespitose. Culms to 150 cm high, 3-5 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed, constricted. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous or scabrous (sparsely), terete to compressed. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths glabrous or puberulous (hairs sparse at the sheath base), with the veins equally striate (?). Ligule (4-)7-11 mm long, not lobed, membranous, acute, entire (becoming lacerated with age). Leaf blades flat or involute, linear, to 300 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, not stiff; adaxially scabrous, channelled; abaxially glabrous, with the veins equally striate.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Inflorescence of chasmogamous spikelets.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, green and purple, erect, contracted, symmetrical. Rachides to 200 mm long, terete (becoming angular towards apex), scabrous (becoming hispid towards apex). Primary inflorescence branches short, scabrous (and angled, to 6 cm long); paired or clustered, appressed. Spikelets erect, spreading.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 7-11 mm long, laterally compressed, not disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels to 10 mm long, erect, hispid. Glumes two per spikelet, similar, subequal, shorter than the florets (?), slightly shorter than the proximal lemma (?). Lower glume ovate, 3.3-5.5 mm long, 1.3-2 mm wide, weakly keeled, acuminate to acute, muticous, tip and margin hyaline; 1-3 veined, midvein scabrous (sparsely); intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume ovate, 4-5.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, weakly keeled, acute, muticous, tip and margin hyaline; 3-5 veined, midvein glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Rudimentary florets distal to the hermaphrodite florets. Incomplete florets absent (?). Hermaphrodite florets 3-6 per spikelet (chasmogamous only). Rachilla disarticulating between the florets, disarticulating directly below the florets, segments bearded at the apex, apically prolonged; terminated by a rudimentary floret. Callus present, blunt, hirsute (?). Lemma laterally compressed, 4-5.5 mm long, dentate (teeth approximately equal, or outer teeth shorter, 0.43-1 mm long), 4 -lobed (often purplish), awned. Lemma 5-7 veined (often extending as mucros or very short awns). Lemma veins not confluent apically; intercostal regions densely hispid. Awns 1, median. Median awn much longer than the body of the lemmas, 9-18 mm long, 1 veined, dorsal, arising from the upper half of the lemma (1/3-1/2 the lemma length from the tip), geniculate, column twisted (slightly), scabrous (pale brown to purplish). Palea fully developed, slightly shorter than the lemmas, oblanceolate, 70-95% of the length of the lemma, 2-keeled, obtuse, bidentate; 2 veined, veins ciliate (in upper 1/2); intercostal regions glabrous, or intercostal regions hispid (in the upper half). Lodicules 2, hyaline, acute, smooth or ciliolate (?), with entire margins, glabrous (?). Stamens 3. Anthers 1.2-2 mm long, purple. Styles 2.

Fruit. Fruit free from both lemma and palea, oblong, dorsiventrally compressed (dorsally), 1.8-2.3 mm long, glabrous. Hilum 20-35% the length of the caryopsis, linear (red-brown). Embryo 10-30% the length of the caryopsis.

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

Ecology. In open habitats. In wet areas such as lagoons, swamps and mountain tarns, from sea-level to about 1100 m.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: Tas.: Micklethwaite Marsh, margin of marsh, 12 March 1985, D.I.Morris 8536 (HO).

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae.

References. Morphology: Jacobs & Lapinpuro (1986) Telopea 2: 719-720. Breeding system: Jacobs & Lapinpuro (1986) Telopea 2: 720. Taxonomy: Jacobs & Lapinpuro (1986) Telopea 2: 719.

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