Group 2 – Inflorescence Digitate Or Subdigitate Paspalum *P
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© James Cook University 2009 Grasses of James Cook University, http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/2104/ Townsville Campus Part B: Generic descriptions and key to Title: Grasses of James Cook University, Townsville campus. Part B: Generic descriptions and key to species [electronic resource] / N. B. Hooker. species ISBN: 9780980558623 (pdf) Notes: Includes index. Bibliography. Subjects: Grasses--Queensland--Identification. N.B. Hooker Other Authors/Contributors: James Cook University. School of Marine and Tropical Biology. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969 WARNING This material has been reproduced and communicated to you by or on behalf of the James Cook University pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act). The material in this communication may be subject to copyright under the Act. Any further reproduction or communication of this material by you may be the subject of copyright protection under the Act. School of Marine and Tropical Biology Do not remove this notice. James Cook University Townsville Drawings adapted from Mallett and Orchard (2002), Tothill and Hacker Queensland (1983), Wheeler et al. (2002), and drawn by N.B. Hooker. Photographs by C.P. Gardiner and taken from Sharp and Simon (2002). 1 Contents Acknowledgements Acknowledgements.....................................................2 I wish to thank the following people from James Cook Introduction .............................................................3 University for their help in the preparation of this book. Grasses listed according to habitat..................................4 Betsy Jackes who provided encouragement and support; her plant books1 were the major source of ideas and inspiration. Grass groups and genus information ................................5 Chris Gardiner, who is always willing to go on botanical walks Grass Group 1 ...........................................................6 around Townsville; he also loaned me his camera and provided photographs for the book. Grass Group 2 ......................................................... 15 Grass Group 3 ......................................................... 37 Grass Group 4 ......................................................... 44 Grass Group 5 ......................................................... 48 Grass Group 6 ......................................................... 60 Grass Group 7 ......................................................... 62 Grass Group 8 ......................................................... 68 Grass Group 9 ......................................................... 83 Grass Group 10........................................................ 94 1 Her books include: Plants of Magnetic Island; Plants of the Townsville grasses .................................................... 98 tropics, rainforest to heath, an identification guide; A guide to the plants of the Burra Range; Field guide to the eucalypts Index...................................................................101 Porcupine Gorge, White Mountains to Moorrinya area; A ‘pictorial’ key to some grass genera found between Charters Towers and Hughenden. 2 Introduction Background Early in 2004, Chris Gardiner and myself decided to cultivate a grass garden as a resource to teach students how to identify grasses. Grass identification was an integral part of the subject “Structure and Dynamics of Tropical Savannas”. We decided to collect plants and seeds from the plants found on the Townsville campus for the garden. Between 2004 and 2008, we have explored many areas of the campus and other sites in Townsville, and this is the early stages of this book. There are virtually no books on the flora of Townsville, however Betsy Jackes has written many books on the flora of north Queensland. Her books are easy to use and are popular with university staff and students. One of these books, “A ‘pictorial’ key to some grass genera found between Charters Towers and Hughenden”, on which this work is based, has received numerous positive comments. This book is intended as a valuable reference for the identification of grasses of the Townsville (Douglas) Campus of James Cook University. Aerial photograph of Douglas Campus, 2005 from Douglas Campus, James Cook University http://www.jcu.edu.au/office/centralservices/aerialphotos/to The Douglas Campus is a 386-hectare site comprising of wnsville.jpg parkland and natural bushland in the surrounding area. There are 100 grass species on Douglas campus, 67 natives and The bushland is classified as Regional Ecosystems 11.3.30 and 33 non-natives (includes cultivated plants in the parkland, 11.3.35, that is, eucalypt woodland with a grassy ground layer. excluding bamboos). The dominant tree species are Eucalyptus platyphylla, E. crebra/drepanophylla, Corymbia clarksoniana and C. These grass species are listed below according to habitat, this tessellaris. The dominant grass species are Heteropogon should help with their identification by limiting the number of contortus, Themeda triandra and in disturbed areas species to be considered. The asterisk (*) refers to non-native Megathyrsus maximus. species. 3 Grasses of open woodlands Eriachne ciliata Alloteropsis cimicina Eriachne mucronata Alloteropsis semialata Eriachne obtusa Aristida calycina var. calycina Eriachne rara Aristida holathera var. holathera Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha Aristida latifolia Eulalia aurea Aristida perniciosa Heteropogon contortus Aristida queenslandica var. dissimilis Heteropogon triticeus Aristida utilis var. utilis *Melinis repens Aristida warburgii Mnesithea formosa Arundinella nepalensis Mnesithea granularis Bothriochloa bladhii subsp. bladhii Mnesithea rottboellioides Bothriochloa decipiens Panicum effusum Bothriochloa ewartiana Panicum laevinode Brachyachne convergens Panicum seminudum var. cairnsianum Capillipedium parviflorum Paspalidium distans Capillipedium spicigerum Paspalidium rarum Chloris lobata Pseudopogonatherum contortum Chloris pumilio Pseudopogonatherum irritans Chrysopogon fallax Sarga plumosum Cymbopogon ambiguus Schizachyrium fragile Cymbopogon bombycinus Sehima nervosum Dactyloctenium radulans Setaria surgens Dichanthium fecundum Sporobolus australasicus Dichanthium sericeum subsp. polystachyum Sporobolus lenticularis Dichanthium sericeum subsp. sericeum Themeda arguens Digitaria ammophila Themeda triandra Digitaria longiflora *Urochloa oligotricha Digitaria nematostachya Urochloa polyphylla Ectrosia leporina Urochloa pubigera Enneapogon lindleyanus Urochloa subquadripara Eragrostis cumingii Vacoparis laxiflorum Eragrostis elongata Eragrostis exigua Eragrostis schultzii Eragrostis spartinoides 4 Grasses of disturbed areas and roadsides *Bothriochloa pertusa *Bothriochloa pertusa *Chrysopogon acicularis Brachyachne convergens *Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon *Cenchrus echinatus *Digitaria didactyla *Chloris gayana *Eleusine indica *Chloris inflata *Eragrostis tenuifolia *Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon *Sporobolus jacquemontii *Dactyloctenium aegyptium *Zoysia sp. Dactyloctenium radulans *Dichanthium annulatum Riparian Grasses *Dichanthium aristatum Arundinella nepalensis *Echinochloa colona Mnesithea rottboellioides *Echinochloa esculenta Oplismenus aemulus *Eleusine indica *Paspalum conjugatum *Eragrostis amabilis *Urochloa mutica *Eragrostis cilianensis Eragrostis cumingii *Eragrostis pilosa Grass groups and genus information *Eragrostis tenuifolia The grass species included in this book are placed into one of *Hyparrhenia rufa subsp. rufa ten groups based mainly on the type of inflorescence, and on *Megathyrsus maximus var. maximus certain features of the spikelet. This is not a natural key, *Megathyrsus maximus var. pubiglumis therefore species in the same genus may key out into different *Melinis repens groups. *Paspalum conjugatum *Pennisetum ciliare (Cenchrus ciliaris) The following information is given under each genus: Perotis rara • Derivation of the genus name Sporobolus australasicus • Description of the genus, including habit, inflorescence *Sporobolus coromandelianus and spikelet morphology, and any other distinguishing *Sporobolus jacquemontii features Themeda arguens • Subfamily and tribe – more information about grass *Themeda quadrivalvis classification is given in the Part A *Urochloa mosambicensis • World and Australian species numbers • Key to species when there is more than one species Ornamental grasses or grasses in lawns *Arundo donax *Axonopus compressus 5 Group 1 – Spatheate inflorescence Cymbopogon C. ambiguus C. bombycinus Hyparrhenia *H. rufa subsp. rufa Mnesithea M. formosa M. granularis M. rottboellioides Schizachyrium S. fragile Themeda T. arguens *T. quadrivalvis T. triandra 6 Cymbopogon Cymbopogon ambiguus Lemon Scented Grasses Scentgrass From the Greek words kumbe (boat) and pogon (beard), referring to many-awned inflorescences and boat-shaped spathes. Tufted perennials with aromatic (often lemon-scented) shoots and leaves when crushed. Inflorescence a panicle of short paired racemes each subtended by a reddish spatheole. Spikelets in pairs, one sessile and one pedicelled. Subfamily: Panicoideae; Tribe: Andropogoneae Species: World = c.40, Australia = 11 There are 2 species on campus, they grow in the open eucalypt woodlands surrounding the university. Key to campus species: 1 Densely tufted perennial to 1.2 m tall; spikelets densely covered with white silky or woolly hairs giving the inflorescence a fluffy appearance .............................. ........................................Cymbopogon bombycinus 1: