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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 nitidula
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 35–82 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 1 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 3–4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades involute; 12–17 cm long; 0.7–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 17–28 cm long; 0.5–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–4 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scaberulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6.3–10.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.3–1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6.3–10.6 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute to setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.2–9.6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 6–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; flat below; with 8–27 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns spreading as much as principal; 7–24 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.1–1.4 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 4.6–6 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
