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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aristida granitica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 35–75 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 2–4.5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 10–21 cm long; 1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 7–19 cm long; 8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3 -nate; 1–2.4 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 12–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.6 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 1–1.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–13 mm long; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–9 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; spreading; with 22 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Column of lemma awn 12–14 mm long. Lateral lemma awns spreading less than principal; 11 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 0.6 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Aristideae. Simon 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lateral awn thinner than principal.

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