Australopyrum velutinum (Nees) B.K.Simon APNI* Synonyms: Agropyron velutinum Nees APNI*
Description: Erect, caespitose perennial to 0.5 m high; culms striate, smooth and glabrous except just below the spike.
Leaves with sheath becoming glabrous and smooth upwards; ligule membranous, truncate, c. 0.5 mm long; blade flat or loosely inrolled on drying, to 2 mm wide, very scabrous, lower surface striate and densely hirsute-pubescent, upper grooved, pubescent.
Spike 1.5–6 cm long bearing c. 4–10 spikelets, the rachis flexuous. Spikelets 5–9-flowered, placed sideways to rachis, pale greenish to straw-coloured. Glumes narrow-triangular, acuminate, persistent, sharply reflexed outwards to downwards at maturity, subequal, 6–7 mm long. Lemmas narrow-ovate when flattened, 8–10 mm long, with awn-like points 0.5–3 mm long.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in open forest and grassland, on heavy soils at higher altitudes.
NSW subdivisions: ST, CWS
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & S. M. Hastings Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|