Common name: Tucker's Spear-grass
Austrostipa tuckeri (F.Muell.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett APNI* Synonyms: Stipa tuckeri F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Caespitose perennial to c. 0.5 m high, shortly rhizomatous, without a basal tuft of leaves.
Leaves with sheath becoming slightly free, pubescent, weakly to strongly ribbed; ligule obtuse, membranous, glabrous to pubescent on the sides, 2.5–6 mm long; auricle absent; blade expanded or loosely rolled, 0.3–1.2 mm wide, strongly ribbed, pubescent, margins ciliate.
Panicle exserted, pyramidal, 15–20 cm long, with whorls of moderately long, few-flowered, compound branches, spreading widely at maturity. Spikelets gaping only at maturity, 6–7.5 mm long. Glumes unequal, acute to acuminate. Lemma 4–5 mm long, tuberculate, dark brown; coma obscure, 0.1–0.25 mm long; lobes absent. Callus almost straight, with white hairs. Awn straight or once bent, 3–3.5 cm long. Palea 20–35% the length of the lemma.
Flowering: in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in areas protected from grazing.
NSW subdivisions: NWS, CWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: W.A. S.A.
Text by SWL Jacobs and J Everett 1993 (as Stipa)
Taxon concept: Flora NSW vol 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.
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