Elionurus tylophorus (Poaceae: Paniceae: Andropogoneae), a new species from the Kimberley region of Western Australia
BARRETT, M.D. AND HANDASYDE, T.
A new annual species, Elionurus tylophorus M.D.Barrett & T.Handasyde is described in the genus Elionurus Willd. of the grass tribe Andropogoneae. It differs from all previously described Elionurus species in having keels of the lower fertile glumes ornamented with projections, these often terminated by minute solitary bristles, rather than regular cilia lacking projections, or with projections terminated by hair-tufts in other species. It differs further from E. citreus (R.Br.) Benth. and E. purpureus E.J.Thomps., the only other Australian Elionurus, in having strongly developed fertile glume nerves, rachilla longer and lacking a wing, and presence of lemmas and anthers in the pedicellate spikelet. Elionurus tylophorus is currently known from a single location in the King Leopold Ranges in the central Kimberley region, and has conservation significance. A primary division of Elionurus into two clades is hypothesised based on a preliminary chloroplast gene phylogeny and two morphological synapomorphies, presence of tufted glume hairs and oil streaks.
