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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 leichhardtiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms slender; 25–45 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate; 2–3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades involute; 6–12 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 5–8 cm long; 3–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–2.5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth to scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–12 mm long; 0.5–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 9–10.5 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea; scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn with 12.5–25 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 11–23 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6.5 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

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