Eragrostis setifolia Nees. London J. Bot. 2:
419 (1843).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Chloridoideae. Cynodontae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia:
In Novae Hollandise interioribus, Major Mitchell's Exped. 59.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (648 as Eragrostis
chaetophylla), [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae
(122), [1981] M.Lazarides in J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central Australia
(457), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia,
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia
(379), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New
South Wales (256).
Illustrations:
[1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (123,
Pl. 35), [2005] K.Mallet (ed.), Flora of Australia 44B: Poaceae 3
(Fig. 65C-D), [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia (380, fig. 313), [2008]
S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales,
4th edn (256).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes absent or present, short. Culms erect, 12–60 cm tall, wiry,
3–6 -noded. Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface.
Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades erect or ascending,
straight, flat or involute or convolute, 4–13 cm long, 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Panicle linear or lanceolate or
ovate, 6–10 cm long, 1.2–2.5 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (9–30(-70)), comprising 9–30(–70) fertile floret(s), with diminished
florets at the apex, linear or oblong, laterally compressed, 10–20 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume oblong, membranous, without keels or keeled, 1-keeled, 1
-nerved. Upper glume oblong, membranous, without keels or keeled, 1-keeled, 1
-nerved.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 1.25–1.75 mm long, keeled, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex muticous or
mucronate. Lodicules present. Anthers 2–3. Grain 0.9 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia,
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.
Western Australia: Gardner,
Fitzgerald, Dampier. Mueller, Canning, Giles, Helms, Fortescue, Ashburton,
Carnarvon, Austin. Eucla, Coolgardie. Northern
Territory: Barkly Tableland, Central Australia North, Central Australia South. South Australia:
North-western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern,
Eyre Peninsula, Murray. Queensland: Burke, Darling Downs, Gregory North,
Leichhardt, Maranoa, Mitchell, South Kennedy, Warrego, Gregory South. New
South Wales: North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, North Far Western
Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Riverina.
Notes.
A useful fodder species in native pastures, drought hardy and can withstand
heavy grazing.
Eragrostis setifolia intergrades with E.
xerophila, producing a wide range of plants with intermediate characters.
In its typical condition, distinguishing characters include wiry perennial with
hairy rootbase; leaf sheaths tight on culms, wider than blades; glabrous at
orifice, with ciliate ligule; blades tightly convolute-involute, scabrous;
spikelets linear, with loose florets exposing the persistent, straight
rachilla; glumes subequal; lemmas with hyaline margins, obtusely keeled; paleas
long relative to their lemmas, hyaline, 3-lobed; caryopsis concave, strongly
compressed dorsally; panicle contracted, loose to rather dense.
Endemic;
distribution is widespread across inland Australia. Commonly in red, brown,
grey or black clay and clayey loam plains and stony tablelands; often in
alluvial seasonally flooded habitats (swamps, dune and sandhill swales,
floodouts, gilgais, in or near small watercourses and drainage channels);
sometimes in saline or calcareous and sandy soils, and disturbed sites.;
flowers all year round.; fruits all year round.
