Aristida ramosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 37–103 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate; 1.2–2.2 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades involute; 6–12 cm long; 0.6–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 8–27 cm long; 1.5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–5 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–1.2 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.7–9 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1(–3) -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth to scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.2–10.7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 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 to acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 6–14 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; concolorous, or mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous, or papillose. Lemma margins involute, or convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight, or curved; spreading; flat below; with 8–20 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns spreading as much as principal; 7–17 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.3–1.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; without sulcus, or sulcate on hilar side; 5–8.7 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

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