Common name: Red Grass, Redleg Grass, Pitted Bluegrass
Bothriochloa decipiens (Hack.) C.E.Hubb. APNI*
Description: Caespitose perennial to 1 m high.
Leaves with sheath loose, keeled, glabrous, or with a few tubercle-based hairs; ligule 0.5–2 mm long, ciliolate; blade 2–4 mm wide, glabrous or with sparse tubercle-based hairs.
Racemes 3–5, erect, appressed or slightly spreading when dry, 3–8 cm long, bearded in the axils; joints and pedicels with hairs to 4.5 mm long. Sessile spikelets lanceolate, narrowed from shortly below the middle, acute; callus bearded with hairs to 1 mm long. Lower glume shortly scabrous on the keels and otherwise smooth, pilose on the back in the lower 30%, usually pitted above the middle; upper glume scaberulous near the tip. Lower lemma ovate to lanceolate to oblong; obtuse, c. 60% as long as the glumes; upper lemma 1.75–2 mm long, stipe-like; awn 1.5–2.5 cm long, geniculate. Stamen 1. Pedicellate spikelet subulate, 2.5–4.5 mm long. subulate, 2.5–4.5 mm long.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, more common in overgrazed pastures.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, NT, NWS, CWS, NWP, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic.
Only var. decipiens is found in NSW.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall; edited S Jacobs & K Wilson (2006) 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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