Aristida balansae

HABIT Perennial. Culms robust; 100–120 cm long. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or involute; 25–60 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 45–55 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; bearded; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 20–40 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 4–5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 15–30 mm long; shorter than principal.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

NOTES Aristideae. Lecomte 1994.

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