Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha
Nangus, NSW
Identify this sighting
| Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha | Tapirlord | 14 Jan 2023 | |
| Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha | Grassman | 14 Jan 2023 | |
| Eriochloa procera | abread111 | 3 Jan 2021 |
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User's notes
near silo, presumably introduced as a contaminant in drought fodder grain from another region
7 comments
14 Jan 2023
The spikelet apices appears to be drawn out into a bristle, which would make it E. pseudoacrotricha
14 Jan 2023
I find it difficult to be convinced about a bristle. In 2010 when I identified the plants as E. procera I had access to the PlantNet key and descriptions including diagrams which show little difference in the spikelet apex shapes for the 2 species. There are excellent photos of E. pseudoacrotricha in VicFlora https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/32c2e118-3dfd-49cf-a7c2-a15853f059a7#&gid=1&pid=3 but I have yet to find similar pictures for E. procera.
15 Jan 2023
The diagrams in PlantNET for the 2 species are pretty hopeless and the species descriptions don't agree with the key. Because so many of the keys, descriptions and diagrams are shared between authors, these errors are propagated across many books and web pages. And this has led to widespread misidentification of the 2 species.
In a discussion I had with Bryan Simon many years ago, he said the 2 key differences are the presence of a bristle in pseudoacrotricha and the spikelet size (4.5-6 mm long including bristle). Bristles are absent in procera and spikelets are 3–3.75 mm long.
The best diagrams differentiating the two I've come across, are by Van Klaphake in Key to the Grasses of Sydney (he spent a lot of time in the Sydney herbarium checking all specimens for his book)
On another note, E. procera is only recorded on the coast in the southern half of NSW.
In a discussion I had with Bryan Simon many years ago, he said the 2 key differences are the presence of a bristle in pseudoacrotricha and the spikelet size (4.5-6 mm long including bristle). Bristles are absent in procera and spikelets are 3–3.75 mm long.
The best diagrams differentiating the two I've come across, are by Van Klaphake in Key to the Grasses of Sydney (he spent a lot of time in the Sydney herbarium checking all specimens for his book)
On another note, E. procera is only recorded on the coast in the southern half of NSW.
15 Jan 2023
Since I found this grass adjacent to the silo where we had been receiving grain for drought feeding from all over the place, I don't think the geographic distribution of E. procera is relevant.
15 Jan 2023
Now I've seen the Van Klaphake diagrams I agree with the confirmation. Thanks Grassman!
Location information
- Coordinates 147.962430-35.004478
- Places Nangus, NSW
Sighting information
- 16 - 100 Abundance
- 19 Dec 2010 08:23 AM Recorded on
- abread111 Recorded by
- 30cm to 1 metre Plant height
- Yes In flower
Collections
Species information
- Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha Scientific name
- Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Non-local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 656.19m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
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- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species