Cyrtococcum patens (L.) A.Camus

Poaceae

Camus, A. (1921) Bulletin du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 27(1): 118.

Culms hollow, creeping, smooth and glabrous, upper part of culm more erect to 15-60 cm tall, rooting at the nodes.

Leaf sheaths loosely pilose, with tubercle-based hairs, fringed with hairs at the apex; leaf blades 3-15 × 0.3-2 cm, pubescent on both surfaces or subglabrous, basal margins with a few long, stiff, tubercle-based hairs, apex acuminate; ligule 0.5-2 mm, subrounded.

Flowers borne in a large panicle 5-30(-40) cm, branches loosely ascending to widely spreading, very slender and glabrous; pedicels filiform and longer than spikelets. Spikelets purplish at maturity, 1.3-1.8 mm, glabrous to appressed-pubescent or shortly hispid with stiff, conspicuously tubercle-based hairs; lower glume membranous, 3-veined, glabrous, ca. 1/2 length of spikelet, the upper glume 2/3 length of spikelet, with bulbous based hairs, 3-veined, keeled.; lower lemma subequaling spikelet, margins ciliate, apex obtuse; upper lemma minutely pitted.

Fruits borne in large open infructescences. Seed pyriform, ca. 1.2 x 0.8-1 mm. Embryo very small.

Features not available.

Occurs in CYP and in NEQ at a few localities near Tully. Altitudinal range from near sea level to . Grows in rainforest. Also in Malesia, Asia and New Guinea.

Cyrtococcum patens has a shoter and less open panicle than C. accrescens.

Panicum patens L., Species Plantarum 1: 58(1753), Type: India. Cyrtococcum capitis-york B.K.Simon, Austrobaileya 3(4): 592(1992), Type: Queensland. COOK DISTRICT: 10.8 km S of Batavia Downs on Peninsula Development Road, 21 April 1990, J.R.Clarkson 8477 & V.J.Neldner.