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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 capillifolia
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 20–80 cm long; 2 mm diam.; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent; 0.3–0.4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 3–10 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 6–25 cm long; 0.5–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.5–1 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 3.5–8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.6–1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.6–8 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.3–8.5 mm long; 1–1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 6.4–7.4 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; spreading; flat below; with 8–16 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns spreading as much as principal; 8–14 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4–5.8 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.5–0.7 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
