Aristida congesta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 10–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 2–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong; 3–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6.5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pilose; truncate.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–10 mm long; 1.6–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 12–30 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of column; limb scabrous. Column of lemma awn 2–4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 12–30 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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