Aristida pennei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 2–20 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; involute; 1–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 3–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–10.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.2 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; 0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0–1 mm long. Upper glume linear; 9–10.5 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; flat below; with 17–27 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 17–27 mm long; subequal to principal. Palea 0.25 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Aristideae. TAC.

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