Common name
Windmill Grass

Derivation
Chloris Sw., Prodr. 25 (1788); from the Greek chloros (green), referring to the leaves; alternatively, named for Chloris (The Green One), mythological Greek goddess of flowers.

truncata- from the Latin trunco (shorten by cutting off). Truncate with respect to apices or lemmas or glumes.

Published in
Prodr. 186 (1810).

Habit
Perennial. Stolons absent or present. Young shoots flabellate. Culms erect, 10–45 cm tall. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringed membrane, 0.4–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–17 cm long, 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth or scaberulous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence digitate, with spicate branches. Spikes 5–13, spreading or radiating, unilateral, 5–23 cm long. Rhachis subterete, scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis, regular.

Spikelets
Spikelets appressed, solitary. Fertile spikelets at least 3-flowered, comprising 1–3 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, cuneate, laterally compressed, 1.8–4.5 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus pubescent or bearded. Floret callus bearded, obtuse.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma, gaping. Lower glume lanceolate, 1.4–2.3 mm long, 50–60% length of upper glume, hyaline, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, midnerve scaberulous or scabrous. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume surface smooth or asperulous or scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, 2.8–4.2 mm long, 100–150% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, hyaline, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, midnerve scaberulous or scabrous. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume surface smooth or asperulous or scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, laterally compressed, 1.8–4.5 mm long, 0.2–0.7 mm wide, cartilaginous, dark brown or black, 3-nerved. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex entire or lobed, truncate, 1-awned. Median (principal) awn subapical, 3–16 mm long overall, 200–250% of length of lemma, limb pubescent. Apical sterile florets 1–2 in number. Apical sterile florets barren, oblong or cuneate, 1.3–3.5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas entire, emarginate or truncate, 1-awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 3.1–12.5 mm long, 1 per spikelet. Lodicules 2, cuneate, fleshy. Anthers 3, 0.6 mm long. Stigmas 2. Grain with adherent pericarp, ellipsoid or obovoid, dorsally compressed, trigonous, 1.5–2.2 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Africa, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.

Western Australia: Helms, Fortescue, Austin, Eucla, Irwin, Drummond, Menzies, Roe, Eyre, Avon, Coolgardie. Northern Territory: Central Australia South. South Australia: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South-eastern. Queensland: South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Darling Downs, Moreton, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, East Gippsland.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae

Notes
Native, widespread, particularly in Southern Mainland Australia.

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