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Conservation status. Although F. composita is restricted in distribution, it appears not to be rare or 
threatened. 
Etymology. The specific eptihet refers to the composite inflorescence. 
6. Fimbristylis dunlopii Latz, sp. nov. (Figure 1) 
Fimbristylis rectae F. Bail, affinis sed plerumque spiculis numerosioribus, glumis parvioribus, 
nuc pyiformi,basi slyli bulbosa differt; a F. neilsonii F. Muell. spiculis paucioribus, vaginis foliorum 
sine marginbus latis hyalinis dislinguitur. 
Typus: Tabletop Range, Northern Territory, 19 May 1985, C.R. Dunlop 6782 (holo: DNA; iso: 
NSW). Annual in white sand in seasonally wet area. Precise locality withheld. 
Annual. Stems erect, somewhat flattened, sulcate, minutely and densely scabrid above, 
becoming glabrous below, 7-57 cm x 0.5- 1.0 mm. Leaves shorter than the stems, rather rigid, flat, 
8-12-nerved, abruptly terminating into a blunt apex, glabrous but scabrid on margins, up to 23 cm 
long and (1-) 2-4 mm wide, sheaths with somewhat hyaline margins, gradually narrowing onto the 
leaf blade, hairy on margins above; upper sheaths up to 12.5 cm long, lower sometimes reduced to 
bracts; ligule absent. Inflorescence consisting of (1-) 2-3 spikclcts, the rays when present 1.8-2. 5 
mm long. Involucral bracts glume-like, c. 8 mm long. Spikelets solitary, erect, ovoid, somewhat 
acute, many-flowered, pale-brown, 8-12 x 3. 5-5.0 mm; rachilla winged. Glumes spiral, 
membranous, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, with long-ciliate margins, reddish gland-dotted in 
upper half, 9-1 1 -nerved, 5.0-5.5 x 2.5-3.0 mm, central nerve thickened, greenish, terminating below 
upper margin, bordered on both sides by a yellowish stripe. Stamens 3; anthers linear, 2.5-3.0 mm 
long. Style triquetrous, slender but abruptly thickened into the bulbous base, glabrous, becoming 
twisted, 3.5-4.0 mm long, stigmas 3, about as long as the style. Nut trigonous, pyriform, truncate, 
abruptly narrowed in lower half, shortly stipitate, umbonulate, tuberculate in upper half, white, 
1.5-1. 8 x 1.3-1. 5 mm; epidermal cells obscure. 
Other specimens examined (precise localities withcld). NORTHERN TERRITORY: Darwin area, 
11 Feb. 1961, H.S. McKee 8383 (CANB n.v., DNA); near Daly River road, 4 Jan. 1964, 
C.S. RobinsonRIOl (DNA); Cox’s Peninsula, 27 March 1948, R.L. Specht 62 (BRI, DNA). 
Distribution. This species is only known from four collections in the Darwin region of the Northern 
Territory. 
Habitat. Either occurring in moist sandy or skeletal lateritic soils, in Eucalyptus open-forest. 
Affinities. F. dunlopii has affinities with F. recta F. Bail, but can be readily separated by the fact 
that it rarely has solitary spikelets, and by its smaller glumes, pyriform nut (unequally trigonous in 
F. recta ) and bulbous style base. F. dunlopii also has some affinities to F. neilsoni F. Muell. but 
can be easily separated by the fewer spikelets and the absence of wide hyaline margins on the leaf 
sheaths. 
Conservation status. Unknown, but probably rare. 
Etymology. The specific epithet honours Mr Clyde R. Dunlop, whose collections have contributed 
much to further our understanding of this difficult genus. 
