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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aristida teretifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long; 1 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; aciculate; convolute; 5–12 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 9 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2 -nate; 3–8 cm long; bearing 5–10 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 16–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 16–17 mm long; membranous; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1.5–2.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 10–12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface smooth, or granulose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn with 30–35 mm long limb. Lateral lemma awns 30–35 mm long; subequal to principal.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; without sulcus. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Aristideae. Henrard 1995.

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