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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 niederleinii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal; flabellate. Culms erect; 11–24 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; deciduous; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 13.5–33 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–18 fertile spikelets.
Panicle contracted; oblong; 5–17 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; angular; scaberulous; tip widened.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 28–40 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pubescent; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 15–25 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–4 mm long. Upper glume linear; 24–40 mm long; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4–8 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 12.5–14 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness, or scaberulous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; with 105–145 mm long limb. Lateral lemma awns 95–136 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1.5 mm long.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; without sulcus; 9–10 mm long; light brown. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Aristideae. Caro 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
