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 nicorae

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 70–110 cm long; 6–9 -noded; disarticulating at the nodes. Culm-internodes terete; solid; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2–3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; convolute; 2–20 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation prominent. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–20 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or with occasional prickles. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; angular; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 6.5–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5–0.6 mm long; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 0.75–1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 8.5–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; with 10–22 mm long limb. Lateral lemma awns ascending; 8.5–18 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1.3–1.7 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.2–1.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; without sulcus; 6.5–9 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.33–0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Aristideae. Sulicik 2005.

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