Common name: Giant Parramatta Grass
Sporobolus fertilis (Steud.) Clayton APNI* Synonyms: Sporobolus indicus var. major (Buse) Baaijens APNI*
Description: Tufted perennials to c. 1.6 m tall. Culms erect, ribbed, glabrous; nodes ribbed, glabrous.
Leaves with sheaths ribbed, glabrous, tightly enclosing culm, becoming loose with age, upper margin ciliate with hairs to 0.5 mm long; ligule a ciliate rim with hairs to 0.5 mm long; blade 4–110 cm long, to 5 mm wide, ribbed, glabrous.
Inflorescence paniculate, 25–45 cm long, axis ribbed, glabrous, if visible only for lower 30% of inflorescence length; branches usually lax at maturity and diverging from the main axis; lowest branches to 8(–11) cm long, upper branches to 3 cm long; pedicels to 1.5 mm long, glabrous, sometimes scabrous. Spikelets 1.5–2 mm long, usually dark green, florets 1. Lower glume elliptic to lanceolate, 0.5–1 mm long, acute, hyaline, glabrous; upper glume lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm long, acute to acuminate, 1-nerved, hyaline. Lemma lanceolate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, subulate to acute, 1-nerved; palea lanceolate to elliptic, subequal to lemma, acute, 2-nerved.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence: NC CC; Qld, S.A.; Native of Asia Weeds of disturbed areas and pastoral areas with summer rainfall.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *CT, *NWS
Other Australian states: *Qld *S.A.
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs (2004)
Taxon concept: D.J.B. Wheeler, S.W.L. Jacobs & R.D.B. Whalley (2002)
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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