Amphibromus vickeryae S.W.L.Jacobs & Lapinpuro, Telopea 2: 725 (1986).

T: Beechboro, 3 mi (5 km) N of Guildford, W.A., Dec. 1901, Fitzgerald; holo: NSW

Vegetative form. Perennial, caespitose. Basal culm internodes swollen. Culms to 100 cm high, 4-5 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed, constricted. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous, terete or compressed. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete, glabrous to scabrous, with the veins equally striate. Ligule 9-12 mm long, membranous, acute, entire (becoming lacerated with age). Leaf blades flat, linear, to 350 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; adaxially scabrous (on the veins), channelled; abaxially glabrous, with the veins equally striate.

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

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, erect, contracted, symmetrical, fully exserted. Rachides to 150 mm long, terete (becoming angled toward apex), glabrous (becoming scabrous toward apex). Primary inflorescence branches paired or clustered (to 5 cm long, becoming flexuose), spreading. Spikelets erect, spreading.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 8-11 mm long, laterally compressed, not disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels to 10 mm long. Glumes two per spikelet, dissimilar, subequal to unequal in length, shorter than the florets. Lower glume c. 3/4s the length of the upper glume (?), ovate, 3.2-3.4 mm long, 0.9-1.2 mm wide, weakly keeled, acute, muticous; 3 veined, midvein glabrous (dark brown to purple); intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume ovate, 3.6-4 mm long, 1.4-1.6 mm wide, weakly keeled, acute, muticous; 5 veined, midvein glabrous (dark brown to purple); intercostal regions glabrous. Rudimentary florets distal to the hermaphrodite florets (?). Incomplete florets absent (?). Hermaphrodite florets 3-4 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, 5-5.5 mm long, not keeled, dentate (the inner teeth including bristles 0.7-1.4 mm long, the outer teeth usually shorter), 4 -lobed, awned. Lemma 7 veined (veins often dark in colour in the teeth). Lemma veins not confluent apically (but extending past the margins in short bristles), scabrous (?), with the hairs on all the veins; intercostal regions papillose. Awns 1, median. Median awn much longer than the body of the lemmas, 10-12 mm long, 1 veined, dorsal, arising from the mid-point of the lemma, geniculate, column twisted, scabrous (dark to pale). Palea fully developed, slightly shorter than the lemmas, 2-keeled, keels wingless, acute; 2 veined, veins ciliate; intercostal regions papillose. Lodicules 2, free, hyaline, glabrous. Stamens 3. Anthers 1.74 mm long.

Fruit. Fruit free from both lemma and palea, oblong, dorsiventrally compressed (dorsally), 1.9 mm long, glabrous (red-brown). Hilum 30-35% the length of the fruit, linear (dark brown). Embryo 35% the length of the fruit.

Distribution. Endemic. Western Australia.

Ecology. Wet areas of coastal districts in the Darling region of Western Australia.

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae.

Close to A. nervosus, differing in the more robust habit, larger lemmas, the short bristle produced at the end of each lemma lobe, and the more uniformly, finely hispid lemma back.

References. Morphology: Jacobs & Lapinpuro 725-6 (1986).

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