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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 eludens
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 35–80 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; without keel; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 15–35 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 16–20 fertile spikelets.
Panicle contracted; linear; 10–23 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 5–9 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.3–1 mm long; pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; light brown; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; light brown; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned, or 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate, or 3-branched; with 5–10 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn (3–)4–5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 0.1–3 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 1 mm long; hyaline; 2-keeled.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1–1.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 6 mm long; dark brown.
DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.
NOTES Aristideae. Allred et al 2004.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
