Aristida spectabilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 100–180 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 30–60 cm long; 4–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; nodding; 30–40 cm long; 10–25 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; bearded; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 6–12 mm long; 0.5–1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 6.5–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 35–44 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 5–6 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 20–28 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

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