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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Aristida benthamii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 50–90 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or involute; 20–25 cm long; 3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 14–30 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–11.5 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5.5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.4 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.2–1 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–9 mm long; 1.3–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 3.5–7 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; without distinctive roughness, or scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn with 8–15 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 6–12 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; 3–4 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.25 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
