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Erect annual. Stems rigid, somewhat flattened, deeply grooved, glabrous, 8-17 cm x 0. 3-0.7 
mm. Leaves basal, about half the length of the stems, somewhat recurved, flattened or with margins 
inrollcd, ciliatc on margins or glabrous, 5-7-nerved above, gradually narrowing to an acute apex, 
3-8 cm x 0.6-1.5 mm; ligule absent; sheaths glabrous, many-nerved with wide hyaline margins, up 
to 3.5 cm long, rarely reduced to bracts. Inflorescence simple with (1) 2-5 spikclets, 2-5 cm long. 
Involucral bracts 1-5 with narrow hyaline margins, ciliate on upper margins or glabrous, up to 1.5 
cm long; rays spreading, similar to stems. Spikelets solitary, erect, narrowly ovoid, angular, acute, 
5-25-flowered, reddish-brown, 5-10 x 2.-5 mm; rachilla winged. Glumes spirally arranged, erect, 
broadly ovate, shortly cmarginate, margins membranous, red gland-dotted, forming 2 apical lobes, 
ciliatc in the upper half; 1.8-2. 5 x 1.5- 1.8 mm, reddish-brown except for greenish central nerve, 
which is thickened above to continue into a short recurved muero and is bordered on both sides by a 
yellowish snipe; lower 2 glumes long mucronate. Stamens (2)3; anthers linear, 0.7- 1.0 mm long. 
Style trigonous, distinctly swollen at the base, glabrous, 0. 9-1.2 mm long; stigmas 3, about as long 
as the style. Nut trigonous, obovate, shortly stipitate, umbonulate, sparsely verruculosc, dark 
brown, 0.8-1. 2 x 0.8-1. 0 mm, epidermal cells isodiametrically pentagonal. 
Other specimens examined. NORTHERN TERRITORY: Cox River Station, Tanumbirini Creek 
(16° OH S 134° 47’ E), 11 July 1977, P.K. Latz 7855 (DNA); Echo Gorge area, Wollogorang 
Station (17° 12’ S, 137° 42’ E), 9 June 1987, P.K. Latz 10500 (BRI, DNA, NSW, PERTH). 
Distribution. F. rupestris is presently only known from three locations in the drier tropical areas of 
Western Australia and the Northern Territory between 14° 30’ S and 17° 30’ S. 
Habitat. This species appears to be restricted to skeletal soil on quartzite or sandstone ranges. 
Affinities. F. rupestris is closely related to F. trachycarya F. Muell. and its allies, but it can be 
separated by the combination of certain characters; namely being a small annual with eligulate 
leaves, and having a simple inflorescence and cmarginate glumes which arc ciliate on the upper 
margins. It has a glabrous style and a subglobular nut with isodiametrically pentagonal epidermal 
cells. 
Conservation status. There is no reason to suspect that F. rupestris is either rare or threatened; the 
lack of collections is probably due to the paucity of botanical collections in the area in which it 
occurs and its resemblance to other, more common, members of this genus. 
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the preference of this species for a rocky habitat. 
9. Fimbristylis simulans Latz, sp. nov. (Figure 2) 
Ex Fimbristylis cardiocarpa F. Muell. et specierum affinium marginibus lads hyalinis foliorum 
vaginarum, foliis glabris, nervo centrali glumarum fertilium mucroni procurrenti, nuce obovoidea 
distinguenda. 
Typus: Coodna Waterhole (19° 18’ S, 134° 14’ E), Phillip Creek Station, Northern Territory, 1 June 
1975, P.K. Latz 6015 (holo: DNA; iso: BRI, L, NT). Erect annual. Infrequent in skeletal soil, 
recently burnt outcrop; Triodia pungens and Eucalyptus leucophloia open-woodland. 
Annual. Stems weak, densely tufted, terete, sulcate, glabrous (rarely sparsely scabrid), 
few-leaved at the base, 17-30 cm by 0.3-0.6 mm but often reduced and as little as 1 cm tall. Leaves 
the length of the stems or less, at first somewhat flattened by soon becoming inrollcd and terete, 
scabrid on rmtrgins (rarely glabrous), strongly nerved, 0. 3-0.6 mm wide; sheaths with wide hyaline 
margins, wider than central portion of sheath in upper part, abruptly terminated; ligule absent. 
Inflorescence a single terminal spikelet. Spikelets erect, lanceolate, obovoid, terete, acute, densely 
many-flowered, pale reddish-brown, 7-27 x 2-4 mm; rachilla winged. Glumes spirally arranged, 
thinly membranous, erect, ovate-lanceolate, acute, mucronate, not or indistinctly keeled, with single 
