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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Aristida latifolia
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 20–131 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded; 0–6 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades curled; 35–70 cm long; 2–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 8–69 cm long; 3–3.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–10 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; 8–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–13 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.4 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–17 mm long; 1–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous, or scabrous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–4 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8–11 mm long; coriaceous; pallid and light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or tuberculate; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 17–50 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column, or with twisted column; persistent. Column of lemma awn 1–9 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 15–45 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 5–7.5 mm long. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
