Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida helicophylla S.T.Blake

First published in Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 51: 171 (1940)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Queensland. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 70-150 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-1 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades 10-21 cm long; 2-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 12-32 cm long; 1.5-4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4-8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.5-1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.5-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6-8 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 acute to setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6-8 mm long; 1.5 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; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4-5.5 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light brown; mottled with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea; scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; pseudo-articulate at base; with 17-40 mm long limb; without a column; persistent. Lateral lemma awns 15-38 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 mm long. Hilum linear; 0.2 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Aristideae. Simon 1993.
[GB]

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