Aristida recurvata

HABIT Perennial. Culms 53–150 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded (deciduous hairs). Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades curled (lower), or straight (upper); flat (lower), or conduplicate (upper); 12–50 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; antrorsely scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 16–40 cm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets subterete; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; straight; 0.2–0.4 mm long; pilose; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar (lower in general slightly longer than upper, sometimes subequal or lower slightly shorter than upper). Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5–12.6 mm long, or 5 mm long; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough generally. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.3–11.5 mm long; 1 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex entire; setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma subterete; 3–5 mm long; without keel; rounded throughout; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; with a median groove (ventral,longitudinal). Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn coiled (at base); ascending; simple at base; with 9.5–21 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 0.8–2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns wrapped around principal; 6–17 mm long; subequal to principal.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Aristideae. LO-W 1993.

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