Spinifex longifolius
| Spinifex longifolius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Spinifex |
| Species: | S. longifolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Spinifex longifolius R.Br. | |
Spinifex longifolius, commonly known as Beach Spinifex, is a perennial grass that grows along the northern and eastern rim of the Indian Ocean.
Description
It grows as a tussock from 30 centimetres to a metre high, and up to two metres wide. It has long flat leaves, and green or brown flowers.[1]
It is similar in appearance to S. littoreus, but that species has hard, sharp leaves capable of drawing blood, whereas the leaves of S. longifolius are a good deal softer.[2]
Taxonomy
It was first published by Robert Brown in his 1810 Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Since that time its taxonomic history has remained entirely uneventful; as a result it has neither any synonyms nor any infrageneric taxa.[3]
Distribution and habitat
It occurs on coastal dunes of white sand, in Australia and northern areas of the Indian Ocean.[4] In Australia, it occurs from Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, north and east to the western edge of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.[5]
References
- ↑ "Spinifex longifolius R.Br.". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
- ↑ Pike, G. D. and Leach, G. J. (1997). Handbook of the vascular plants of Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Canberra: Parks Australia.
- ↑ "Spinifex longifolius R.Br.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
- ↑ Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). "Spinifex longifolius". GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ↑ CANB specimens of Spinifex longifolius in Australasia
Further reading
- Webster, R. D. (1987). The Australian Paniceae (Poaceae). Berlin: J. Cramer.