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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 parvula
HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 6–40 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse, or ample. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 6–12 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 4–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 6.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; bearded; hairy in a ring above; truncate. Floret callus hairs 0.5 length of lemma.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; with 6–9 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 5 mm long. Palea oblong; 1 mm long; 0.15 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; fleshy; veined. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.
NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
