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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aristida helicophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 70–150 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades 10–21 cm long; 2–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 12–32 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.5–1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute to setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; pseudo-articulate at base; with 17–40 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 15–38 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; 3 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.2 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

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