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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 moritzii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–50 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 15–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; linear; interrupted; 10–20 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 11–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; bearded; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 10–11 mm long; 0.95 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume linear; 11–12 mm long; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 8–9 mm long; coriaceous; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn with 30–35 mm long limb. Lateral lemma awns 30–35 mm long; subequal to principal.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and western South America.

NOTES Aristideae. Henr 1997.

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