Aristida diffusa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or woolly. Culms erect; 40–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curled; filiform; involute; 10–30 cm long; 2.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; shorter than basal leaves.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 15–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; distant; 2–3 -nate; 10–15 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pilose; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–9 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–17 mm long; 1.1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 9–13 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 20–30 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 2–6 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 20–30 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Aristideae. FZ.

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