Common name: Firegrass
Schizachyrium fragile (R.Br.) A.Camus APNI* Synonyms: Schizachyrium obliqueberbe (Hack.) A.Camus APNI*
Andropogon fragilis R.Br. APNI*
Description: Delicate annual to 0.8 m high.
Leaves with sheath reddish at maturity; ligule < 1 mm long, truncate, ciliate; blade 1–3 mm wide.
Raceme at first entirely enclosed by, and later exserted from, the subtending reddish spathe; joints and pedicels with long white hairs along the margins; axis readily disarticulating. Sessile spikelets 5–7 mm long; callus shortly bearded at the base. Lower glumes hairy in lower 50%, acute; the upper subequal, keeled. Lower lemma c. 75% the length of the glumes. Upper lemma 2-lobed almost to the base, the lobes acute, with a twisted, geniculate awn. Palea absent. Pedicellate spikelet reduced to a narrow, acute, lower glume 1–2 mm long with a slender terminal awn 3–4 mm long, sometimes with a second glume and 0, 1, or 2 hyaline lemmas.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sandy or stony disturbed soils.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall
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.
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