Aristida funiculata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 15–30 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 4–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 20–30 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume linear; 17–25 mm long; 4–6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 4 mm long; coriaceous; 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 3-branched; with 35–45 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn (2–)3–4.5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 35–45 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.25 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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