Rostraria

Taxonomic status Accepted

Occurrence status Present

Establishment means Introduced

Tufted annuals. Leaf-blades flat; ligules membranous. Inflorescence a panicle. Spikelets laterally compressed, with 2–6 bisexual florets which fall separately; glumes 2, keeled, equal or unequal, the lower 1–3-nerved, the upper 3-nerved, shorter than the spikelet, persistent; lemmas 3–5-nerved, bifid, keeled, with a straight to slightly curved awn near the apex; palea shorter than lemma, bifid at apex.

About 18 species, from southern Europe, possibly extending to southern Africa; 2 naturalised in Australia and Victoria.

The distinctions between this and other closely related genera (e.g. Koeleria, Lophochloa, Trisetum) are not universally accepted.

Source:

Walsh, N.G. (1994). Poaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., ‍Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons‍, pp. 356–627. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 20 Dec. 2019

Key to the species of Rostraria

Spinning

kingdom

phylum

class

order

family

Higher taxa

genus

Rostraria

Subordinate taxa

species

Rostraria cristata (L.) Tzvelev

species

Rostraria pumila (Desf.) Tzvelev

Flora of Australia

FloraBase

NZFlora

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