(Variant) Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum (Willd.) Spenn., Fl. Friburg. 1: 113 (1825).

Avena bulbosa Willd., Neue Schr. Ges. Naturf. Freund. Berl. 2: 116 (1799) non Host, ( ); Arrhenatherum avenaceum var. bulbosum (Schrad.) Hart.,; A. elatius subsp. bulbosum (Willd.) Schübler & Martens, Fl. Würtemberg 70 (1834).
Avena tuberosa Gilib., Exerc. Phyt. 2: 538 (1792)

Illustrated in: Hubbard, C.E. (1954). Grasses 208; Jessop & Toelken, (eds.), Fl. S. Australia, 4: 1909 (1986).

Vegetative form. Basal culm internodes swollen (forming a chain of bulbous corms up to 1 cm in diameter). Culms 5-9 noded. Mid-culm nodes swollen. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Leaf blades channelled or shallowly grooved.

Inflorescence. Rachides 150-220 mm long.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Glumes approximately half the proximal lemma in length. Incomplete lemma veins only at the vein apex; intercostal regions pilose, the hairs usually only at the base (in the lower half). Proximal male florets with 3 stamens. Lemma intercostal regions glabrous or villous, the hairs only at the base (the lower half). Median awn straight. Palea slightly shorter than the lemmas, obtuse to truncate; intercostal regions scabrous (sparsely).

Common name. Bulbous False Oat, Onion Twitch.

Distribution. Tasmania, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Victoria. World distribution: Western Eurasia, USSR, Mediterranean, Africa, and North America.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: A.C.T.: O'Connor, Canberra, wet ground in small gully, 17 Dec. 1961, H.S.McKee 8864 (CANB). Tas.: Mt. Wellington, The Springs, 23 Jan. 1993, C.M.Mihaich (fresh); Lady Barron Is., Flinders Is., 16 Dec. 1968, J.S.Whinray 1899 (CANB).

Material examined anatomically: A.C.T.: O'Connor, Canberra, wet ground in small gully, 17 Dec. 1961, H.S.McKee 8864 (CANB). Tas.: Lady Barron Is., Flinders Is., 16 Dec. 1968, J.S.Whinray 1899 (CANB), RSBS anatomical preparation no.1654.

Classification. Ornamental form with striped green and yellow leaves also seen from Canberra.

References. Morphology: Morris, D.I. (1991). Grasses Tasman. 60; Hubbard, C.E. (1954). Grasses 209; Wheeler, et al. (1990). Grasses N.S.W. 118; Clayton, W.D. & S.A. Renvoize, (1986). Gen. Gram. 124; Tutin (1980) p. 216; Jacobs & Hastings (1992) ms p. 168. Cytology: Hubbard, C.E. (1954). Grasses 209; Tutin (1980) 216. Illustrations: arrhen02.gif arrhen12.gif arrhen13.gif arrhen25.gif arrhen26.gif arrhen40.gif

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