Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida calycina R.Br.

First published in Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 173 (1810)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & E. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately, or densely. Culms erect; 33-128 cm long. Culm-internodes mid-green, or glaucous; smooth, or scaberulous, or papillose; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth to antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3-1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; involute; 20-25 cm long; 1-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear to elliptic; 12-31 cm long; 2-20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2.5-6 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5.5-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; acute.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 5.5-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5-14.8 mm long; 0.75-1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-7 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5-20 mm long; 1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate to acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4-14 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; without distinctive roughness, or scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn flat below; with 10-31 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 8-27 mm long; shorter than principal. Palea 0.2 length of lemma; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; 3-5 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.3-0.5 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Aristideae. Simon 1993.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0