Rytidosperma nudiflorum (P.Morris) Connor & Edgar APNI* Synonyms: Danthonia nudiflora P.Morris APNI*
Description: Short tufted perennial to 0.4 m high, rhizomatous or simple caespitose.
Culms moderately stout, c. 2-noded, densely covered with old sheaths at the base, smooth, rigid, mostly glabrous, often only slightly exceeding the leaves. Sheaths glabrous, smooth, lightly striate with a few distinct nerves; ligule reduced to a row of very short cilia; blade rigid, inrolled, more or less subulate, smooth, somewhat shining, subpungent, glabrous, 2–10 cm long.
Inflorescence 3–7 cm long, sometimes only slightly exserted, with c. 5–10 spikelets, compact linear or narrow-lanceolate, erect. Spikelets 5- or 6-flowered, the group of florets 60–80% as long as glumes, closely packed. Glumes with firmly membranous margins, 5-nerved, 8–13 mm long, . Lemmas 3 mm long, fusiform, 9-nerved, lateral lobes tapering into short, delicate setae; central awn much exceeding the lateral lobes, more or less erect or somewhat reflexed, light brown and loosely once or twice twisted at the base; palea oblong-lanceolate, very minutely ciliolate on the keels and at the apex.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in grassland at higher altitudes, chiefly in the Australian Alps.
NSW subdivisions: NT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B. Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
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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