Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida gracilipes (Domin) Henrard

First published in Meded. Rijks-Herb. 54: 209 (1926)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Queensland to NE. New South Wales. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 60-115 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades involute; 4-8 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear; 12-21 cm long; 1-3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4-6 cm long. Panicle branches with insignificant pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8-11 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; 8-11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pubescent; acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4-10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4-10 mm long; 0.5-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8-11 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; with 10-20 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns spreading as much as principal; 10-16 mm long; subequal to principal, or 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; 6-8 mm long. Hilum linear; 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 2026. 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 2026. 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