Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Centotheca philippinensis (Merr.) C.Monod


Grass
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Herbarium specimen. © CSIRO
Family

Monod de Froideville, C. (1971) Blumea 19(1): 60.

Common name

Creek grass

Stem

Culms solitary or loosely tufted, erect, smooth, 40-100 cm tall, 4-7-noded.

Leaves

Leaf sheaths smooth or ciliate along one margin; leaf blades broadly lanceolate, 5-15 × 1-2.5 cm, abaxial surface glabrous with cross veins, adaxial surface glabrous or loosely hispidulous, apex long-attenuate; ligule 1-1.5 mm.

Flowers

Panicle open, 12-25 cm, primary branches up to 15 cm, the spikelets clustered around them; pedicels 2.5-3 mm, slender, pubescent. Spikelets ca. 5 mm, florets 2-3; glumes 3-5-veined; lower glume 2-2.5 mm, acute; upper glume 3-3.5 mm, mucronate; lowest lemma ca. 4 mm, 7-veined, glabrous, apex apiculate; second and third lemmas 3-3.5 mm, coarsely setose with tubercle-based, reflexing bristles near upper margins; paleas firm, ciliolate along keels. Outer glumes glabrous, about 4 mm long.

Fruit

Caryopsis ellipsoid, 1-1.2 mm.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

Occurs in CYP and NEQ. Altitudinal range from 20-105 m. Grows in rainforest and vineforest. Also in Malesia and Papuasia.

Synonyms
Ramosia phillippinensis Merr., Philippines Journal of Science 11: 2(1916).
RFK Code
4121
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