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 lazaridis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 40–140 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-internodes glaucous; smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 0.5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades curled; involute; 10–20 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 10–45 cm long; 5–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–8 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous, or scabrous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.6 mm long; pilose; acute. Floret callus hairs 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–19 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–19 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 7–12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; without distinctive roughness. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; flat below; with 13–37 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 10–31 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; 5–8.5 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.4 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lemma margins protruding from groove.

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