Lepyrodia verruculosa B.G.Briggs & L.A.S.Johnson APNI* Synonyms: Lepyrodia cryptica subsp. verruculosa B.G.Briggs & L.A.S.Johnson ms. APNI*
Description: Dioecious, forming dense clumps or diffuse areas of small tufts connected by rhizomes. Rhizome creeping, c. 5 mm diam.; cataphylls tan-brown, scarious, extending c. 5.5 cm up the culm.
Culms closely spaced or up to 1 cm apart along rhizome, erect, flattened (ellipsoid in cross-section), 40–65 cm long, 1.3–2.1 × 0.8–1.5 mm diam., scarcely rough when fresh but asperous and finely tuberculate when dry, simple; lowest internode long, lowest sheath (2–)5–14 cm above the cataphylls. Sheaths 2 or 3 (rarely 4), persistent, 1.5–4.5 cm long, loose, lax or reflexed, usually with inrolled margins, dull-brown, obtuse to truncate; auricles membranous; lamina erect, to c. 1 cm long.
Inflorescence 2.5–19 cm long; branches to 6 cm long and moderately crowded with flowers, lower branches spaced further apart on the culm, upper branches more clustered; spathes usually exceeding branches, 1–3 cm long; bracteoles 2, shorter than the tepals, cuspidate. Male flowers: tepals rigid, yellow-brown, lanceolate; outer tepals longer, 3.0–3.6 mm long; inner tepals 2.5–3.0 mm long; filaments c. 2.5 mm long; anthers 1.7 mm long. Female flowers: tepals similar to males; outer tepals 2.6–3.9 mm long; inner tepals 2.6–3.5 mm long.
Seeds ellipsoidal, 1.2 mm long, 0.7 mm wide, colliculate with small circular raised areas.
Distribution and occurrence: From near Thirlmere (SW of Sydney) to Nadgee on the far South Coast; also Tallong and Pigeon House Range. On creek banks or seepage areas in heathland and eucalypt forest, mostly on sandstone.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, ST
Differs from L. scariosa in having fewer culm nodes, flattened and (when dry) finely tuberculate culms, elongated cataphylls, and different seed shape and surface pattern.
Text by BG Briggs and KL Wilson (Oct 2012); edited KL Wilson (Feb 2014)
Taxon concept: BG Briggs and LAS Johnson (2012), Telopea 14: 23
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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