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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 macroclada

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–100 cm long; 5–9 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades involute; 15–30 cm long; 1–2.3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 17–24 cm long; 3–7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–10 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–0.8 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–11 mm long; 0.66–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex emarginate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–15 mm long; 1.1–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 5.5–9.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 10–29 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column, or with twisted column; persistent. Column of lemma awn 1–8 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 9–26 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 5–8 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

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