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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 junciformis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Roots simple (spongy). Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms 20–60 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section (below nodes); distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades straight, or curled; involute; 10–30 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; interrupted; dense; 5–20 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Panicle branches glabrous in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.3–0.5 mm long; bearded; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; 0.6–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 5–6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 8–23 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; persistent. Column of lemma awn 1–3(–6) mm long. Lateral lemma awns 7–17 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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