Aristida mutabilis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms (10–)30–70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 6–14 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or ovate; 10–20 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.5 mm long; pilose; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.7–1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1.4–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4–5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 10–30 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of column; limb scabrous. Column of lemma awn 2–5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 10–30 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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