Poaceae
Austroderia

Austroderia richardii (Endl.) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder

First published in Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 97: 344 (2010)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Zealand South Island. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms robust; 200-300 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 60-80 cm long; 5-10 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Gynodioecious (male, in this context, indicating the bisexual state). Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 30-60 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 20-35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 20-35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume linear; 20-35 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume linear; 20-35 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6-15 mm long; 1-3 mm wide; hyaline; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface plumose; hairy below. Lemma hairs 6-8 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with filiform lobes; with lobes 3-7 mm long; attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 8-10 mm long overall. Palea hyaline; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy; ciliate. Anthers 3; 2-2.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis.
sex Male
Male inflorescence bisexual similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.
Reference
Arundineae. WDC 1993.
[GB]

Common Names

english
toetoe

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images