Aristida kunthiana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms 30–45 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–20 cm long; 2–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple; 3–10 cm long. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.75 mm long; pilose; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 5–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough in lines. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 15–25 mm long limb; without a column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma. Lateral lemma awns 10–20 mm long; subequal to principal, or shorter than principal. Palea 0.1 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical.

NOTES Aristideae. Henrard.

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