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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Aristida superpendens
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–120 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous, or antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 4–5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curled; filiform, or linear; involute; 15–27 cm long; 0.6–1.2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous, or scabrous; rough on both sides; pilose; hairy adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; elliptic; 14–34 cm long; 5–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 16–21 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.6–2.2 mm long; pubescent; pungent. Floret callus hairs 0.2–1.8 mm long.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–13.2 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 16–21 mm long; 1.6–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8–12.6 mm long; coriaceous; pallid and light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; spreading; with 35–99 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 11–34 mm long. Lateral lemma awns spreading less than principal; 26–86 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 5.6–7.2 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
