Aristida fredscholzii

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 17 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 2–6 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–8 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches distant.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.5 mm long; pilose; obtuse. Floret callus hairs 1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.66–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 5–9 mm long; coriaceous; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; 0.5–1.5 mm long overall.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Aristideae. Scholz & Kurschner 2005.

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