Avellinia michelii (Savi) Parl., Pl. Nov. 61 (1842).

Bromus michelii Savi, Bot. Etrusc. 1: 78 (1808); Koeleria michelii (Savi) Coss. & Durieu, Expl. Sci. Algérie 2 liv. 16: 120 (1855); Vulpia michelii (Savi) Rchb., T: n.v.

Vegetative form. Small, annual, erect or geniculate, caespitose. Leaves scattered along the culms. Culms slender, 6-10(-30) cm high, unbranched above, 2 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed (sh shorter or equal to internode), pigmented, constricted. Mid-culm internodes retrorsely puberulous (below node), terete. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete, puberulous, the same colour as the lamina (sometimes purple), with the veins equally striate, with margins free, membranous, ciliate. Ligule 0.4-0.8 mm long, not lobed, not decurrent, membranous, ciliolate to ciliate, truncate, lacerate, abaxially glabrous. Collar glabrous. Distinct callus at blade-sheath junction absent. Leaf blades joining the sheath gradually, flat or folded, linear, 10-20(-50) mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm wide; adaxially puberulous and adaxially pilose (mix of short and long (c. 0.5 mm) hairs), channelled; abaxially puberulous, with the veins equally striate; with margins scabrous and with margins ciliate, apices blunt and rounded, hooded.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Rudimentary spikelets at the base of the inflorescence. Incomplete spikelets absent. Inflorescence of chasmogamous spikelets.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, pallid and green, erect, contracted, to 10 mm wide, ovate or elliptic, symmetrical, partially exserted or fully exserted (the panicle base often enclosed). Main inflorescence axis 40-75 mm long. Peduncles 13-25 mm long, puberulous, smooth. Rachides 27-50 mm long, subterete, puberulous. Rachis angles glabrous, or puberulous. Pulvini absent. Primary inflorescence branches sparsely scabrous; solitary, branching at the base (2-3-nate), narrowly spreading, distichous, without spikelets inserted at the base. Spikelets 2-3 on a typical ultimate inflorescence branch, on second order branches or on third order branches, erect, spreading.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 4.2-5.1 mm long, 3.6-4.3 mm wide, strongly laterally compressed, cuneate, not disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels 0.9-2.8 mm long, erect, slender, minutely scabrous to puberulous (antrorsely), straight. Glumes two per spikelet, dissimilar, unequal in length, exceeding the florets, longer than the proximal lemma (G2 conspicuously longer, G1 much shorter). Lower glume minute, less than half the length of the upper glume (c. 1/4), subulate (narrow), 0.8-1.3 mm long, c. 0.1 mm wide, membranous, keeled, subulate, entire, muticous, margin smooth; 1 veined, veins prominent, midvein glabrous or midvein scaberulous; intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 4.2-5.1 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, membranous, keeled, acute, entire, muticous, minutely margin ciliolate; 3 veined, veins prominent, midvein scaberulous; intercostal regions glabrous. Rudimentary florets distal to the hermaphrodite florets, or absent. Incomplete florets absent. Hermaphrodite florets 2-3 per spikelet. Rachilla disarticulating between the florets, disarticulating directly below the florets, straight, segments 0.4-0.5 mm long, sparsely puberulous, shortly elongated between the glumes, elongated between the upper glume and first floret, and elongated between all florets, apically prolonged; prolongation 0.5-0.6 mm long, naked. Callus present, blunt, 0.3-0.4 mm long, glabrous or scabrous (with a few hairs at the base), hairs c. 0.1 mm long. Lemma similar in firmness to the glumes, laterally compressed, narrowly oblong, 2.9-3.4 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide, membranous, not keeled, acute, entire; apex hyaline; awned. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma (3-)5 veined. Lemma veins not confluent apically, obscure, scaberulous, with the hairs on the midvein, with the hairs only at the vein apex; intercostal regions glabrous to papillose, the hairs over the entire dorsal surface. Awns 1, median. Median awn shorter than the body of the lemmas, 1.6-2 mm long, 1 veined, terete, dorsal, arising from the upper half of the lemma (upper 3/4s), straight, scabrous. Palea fully developed, minute to 1/2 the length of the lemmas (1/3-1/4), thinner than the lemmas, gaping, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic, 1.4-1.6 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, hyaline, 2-keeled, keels wingless, truncate, distinctly bidentate, margin ciliolate; 2 veined, veins puberulous; intercostal regions glabrous. Lodicules 2, free, hyaline, oblong, obtuse, smooth, toothed, with margin divisions terminal, glabrous. Stamens 3. Anthers 0.4 mm long, yellow, entire or shortly basally 2-lobed. Ovary oblong (?), glabrous. Styles 2, apical, free to their bases.

Fruit. Fruit not seen.

Distribution. Introduced. Victoria and South Australia.

Ecology. Dry sites, on sand in heath, mallee and dunes. Flowers Oct.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: S.A.: 15 mi [24.2 km] E of Tintinara, Oct. 1967, heath and mallee on white sand slope, I.Noy-Meir 1828 (CANB); 10 mi [16.1 km] SW of Bakara, Oct. 1967, roadside reserve of mallee on slope of reddish sand, I.Noy-Meir 1828 BL (CANB). Vic.: Wyperfeld National Park, dune top, Oct. 1965, P.Holland W5 p.p. (CANB).

Material examined anatomically: Vic.: Wyperfeld National Park, Oct. 1965, M.Gray (CANB).

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae.

Lemma is 5-veined (not 1-3), apex is entire, and awn does not arise from a sinus as described for Avellinia.

References. Illustrations: avelli01.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