Aristida rufescens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 70–100 cm long. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 30–40 cm long; 3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear to elliptic; dense; 12–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–6 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pilose; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8.5 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 13–14 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 13–14 mm long; subequal to principal.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Aristideae. Henrard 1994.

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