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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 muricata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 50–90 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades involute; 9–19 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear; 17–30 cm long; 1–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2.5–10 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.3 mm long; pubescent; acute.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; 1.1–1.4 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 emarginate, or obtuse, or acute, or acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 7.5–8.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate; rough above. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn subterete below, or flat below; with 17–30 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 15–28 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
