Aristida triticoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–65 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–30 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 14–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 1 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–8 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–16 mm long; 3.5–5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 3–4.5 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 40–60 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of column. Column of lemma awn 20–25 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 25–35 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Pak.

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