Aristida calycina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately, or densely. Culms erect; 33–128 cm long. Culm-internodes mid-green, or glaucous; smooth, or scaberulous, or papillose; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth to antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; involute; 20–25 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear to elliptic; 12–31 cm long; 2–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2.5–6 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5.5–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–14.8 mm long; 0.75–1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5–20 mm long; 1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate to acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4–14 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 flat below; with 10–31 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 8–27 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; 3–5 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.3–0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

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