irregularly indented. Blades 12 cm long by 7 mm long, base attenuate, apex acute, the surface glabrous on both side. Inflorescence c. 10 cm long, a panicle, erect, dense.
Central axis and branches retrorsely short-hairy. Spikelets in clusters of short racemes; axis of racemes ending in bristles; moreover a c. 6 mm long bristle below the spikelet.
Lower racemes with 3 – 7 spikelets; spikelets c. 2 mm long, 1-flowered. Lower glume oval, obtuse, 3-nerved, c. 1 mm long. Upper glume shorter than spikelet, oval, obtuse,
5 – 7-nerved. Lower lemma oval, obtuse, 5 – 7-nerved. Lower palea shorter and narrower, 2-nerved. Upper lemma c. 2 mm long, finely but distincly transversely
rugose.
Notes
Found in Europe, Africa, Western Asia, Arabia, China, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australasia, Pasific, North and South America.
Distribution at Sulawesi
Central: Palu, Alt. 400 m, 0 53’ S 119
53’ E; Mts. Gawalise, Alt. 650 m. South: Salayar Island.
Habitat
Dry region, foret-edges.
Specimen examined
Meijer 10164 BO; Papa 305 WALL; Leeuwen 1391 BO.
86. SPINIFEX L. Type: Spinifex squarrosus L. Mant. Pl. 163, 300. 1771; Grass.
Burma, Ceylon, India Pakistan i-xviii, 1-767. 1960. From the Latin spina “a thorn”, and facere “to make”, referring to the sharp-
pointed leaves. About 4 species, Asia, Australasia, and pasific. Plants perennial, rhizomatous,
stoloniferous. Culms decumbent, bearing 2 leaves or more close together at each node, from each such group of leaves producing a tuft of branches. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
Blades stiff, narrow, fleshy. Inflorescence of two kinds, male and hermaphrodite, in dense tufts, in the axils of leaves of erect branches, each inflorescence subtended by a
short sheathless flatt leaf-like bract. Male inflorescence bearing several 2-ranked spikelets, axis of inflorescence continued only for a short distance beyond the last
spikelet. Hermaphrodite inflorescence with very long axis, bearing only a single spikelet near the base. The whole head of the hermaphrodite inflorescence with bracts,
is deciduous at maturity and is blown about by wind till it breaks up.
Key to the Species
1.a. Culms up to 90 cm long; racemes 16 cm long; fertile spikelets 9-11 mm long; lower glume 9-nerved; lower lemma ovate, chartaceous; upper lemma ovate, 8-
10 mm long ..............................................................86.1. Spinifex littoreus
b. Culms up to 60 cm long; racemes 10 cm long; fertile spikelets 6 mm long; lower glume 5-nerved; lower lemma lanceolate, membraneous; upper lemma
lanceolate, 6 mm long .............................................86.2. Spinifex longifolius
86.1.
Spinifex littoreus Burm. f. Merr. Philipp. J. Sci. 74:229. 1912.
Stipa littorea Burm.f. Fl. Indica 29. 1768; Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India Pakistan i-xviii, 1-767. 1960.
Spinifex squarrosus L. Mant. Pl. 300. 1771; Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India Pakistan i-xviii, 1-767. 1960.
Plants perennial, mat forming. Culms 35-90 cm long. Sheaths 2-6 cm long, smooth. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Blades 4-22 cm by 2-4 mm, indurate, stiff.
Inflorescence dioceous. Inflorescence composed of racemes, terminal and axillary, deciduous as a whole, subtended by a spatheole. Racemes single, radiating, unilateral,
8-16 cm long, bearing 1 spikelet at the base. Spikelet abaxial; appressed, solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile: comprising 1 basal sterile florets, 1 fertile florets, without
rachilla extension; lanceolate, 9-11 mm long, dorsally compressed, falling entire. Glumes similar, reaching apex of florets, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume
lanceolate, as long as spikelet, chartaceous, no keels, 9-nerved; apex acute. Upper glume ovate, as long as spikelet, chartaceous, no keels, 7-nerved; apex acute. Florets:
basal sterile florets barren, without significant palea; lemma similar to upper glume, ovate, 1 times length of spikelet, chartaceous, 5-nerved, acute. Fertile florets female;
lemma ovate, 8-10 mm long, membraneous, no keel, 5-nerved; apex acute. Male inflorescence unlike female, a single raceme in compound fascicles; distinct from
female, 2-flowered, 10 mm long; glumes 2; lemma 7-9-nerved.
Notes
Found in China, Eastern Asia, India, Indo-China, Malesia, Australia, and Pasific.
Distribution at Sulawesi
North: Minahasa, Air Tembaga; Lelema; Tapalang. Central: Donggala; Salayar Island. South: Kapoposang Island, Pangkep, Alt. 5 m; Bonthain, Alt. 0 m; Palili.
Habitat Sand.
Specimen examined
Alston 16160 BO; Noerkas 461 BO; Posthumus 2674 BO; Leeuwen 1864 BO; Kjellberg 3083 BO; Heyne s.n. BO; Kooders 17283
β, 17284 β BO.
86.2. Spinifex longifolius R. Br. Prodr. 198. 1810.
