Common name: Goldentop
Lamarckia aurea (L.) Moench APNI* 
Description: Tufted annual to 0.4 m high.
Leaves with ligule membranous, acuminate, c. 7 mm long; blade flat, to 6 mm wide.
Inflorescence 3–7 cm long, to 1.5 cm wide. Spikelets trimorphic, forming clusters, the base of each cluster with hairs to 1 mm long. Common sterile spikelets 1–3 per cluster, 4–6 mm long, 4–8-flowered; glumes aristate or mucronate, equal, 2–3 mm long; florets reduced to lemmas c. 2 mm long. Less common sterile spikelets 0 or 1 per cluster, 1 or 2 flowered, at least 1 lemma awned. Fertile spikelets 1 per cluster, 2-flowered, with similar glumes to sterile spikelets; lower lemma bisexual 2.5 mm long, 2-lobed, the lobes c. 0.5 mm long; awn subterminal, 5 mm long; palea membranous, narrow, 2-keeled. Upper lemma sterile, reduced with subterminal awn 4–5 mm long.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: A weed of disturbed areas; widespread. Native of Medit. region.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NT, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
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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