Aristida mollissima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent, or woolly. Culms 60–90 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent, or woolly. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 20–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 10–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2–2.5 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–20 mm long; 1.5–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 28–55 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 12–27 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 28–55 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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