Aristida stipoides

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 90–150 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; equilateral, or nodding; 20–50 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 14–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5–2 mm long; pilose; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–20 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 35–60 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 15–30 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 30–50 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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