Aristida vestita

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or woolly. Culms 40–120 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent, or woolly. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 20–40 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; effuse; 15–30 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pilose; truncate, or 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–7 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–13 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 7–11 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 20–35 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 2–7 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 15–30 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical, southern tropical, and south. North America: Mexico.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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