Poaceae
Triodia

Triodia cunninghamii Benth.

First published in Fl. Austral. 7: 606 (1878)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Western Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 100-130 cm long. Leaf-sheaths resinous; medianly thickened. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside (except median line). Leaf-blade apex pungent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; 15-30 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5.5 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4.5 mm long; 1.5-1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5-3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins in close groups (of 3). Lemma apex lobed; 3 -fid; with simple equal lobes; with linear lobes; incised 0.5 of lemma length; acute. Palea 0.5 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Burbidge 1993.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0