Aristida dewinteri

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes purple. Lateral branches lacking. 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; 15–30 cm long; 10–15 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pilose; 2-toothed.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.3–0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow and black (at tip); 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow and black (at tip); 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 7–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 35 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 1.3–1.4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 25 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea oblong; 0.7 mm long; 0.1 length of lemma; hyaline; 0 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ovate; 1–1.25 mm long; veined; obtuse. Anthers 3; 3 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 3–3.5 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. Giess 1997.

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