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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 hitchcockiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 70 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; striate; scaberulous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 15–25 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 25 cm long; 1 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1 -nate; 5–6 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.75 mm long; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 11 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; light brown, or purple; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 10 mm long; 1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; light brown, or purple; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex erose; truncate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; ascending; with 16–18 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 3 mm long. Lateral lemma awns spreading less than principal; 9–10 mm long; shorter than principal.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Aristideae. Henrard 2004.

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