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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aristida acuta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 40–125 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3–4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 7–13 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or elliptic; 15–30 cm long; 1–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–7 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 7.7–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; hairy on the surface, or on the margins; acute.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.7–15 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–3 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–14 mm long; 1–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; concolorous, or mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; without distinctive roughness. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn flat below; with 13–22 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 9–18 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; 4.5–6 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.2 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.