Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida rufescens Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 421 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mayotte, N. Madagascar. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 70-100 cm long. Culm-nodes swollen. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 30-40 cm long; 3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear to elliptic; dense; 12-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2-6 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; 8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pilose; acute.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; pilose; acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8.5 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 4.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 13-14 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Column of lemma awn 2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 13-14 mm long; subequal to principal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Africa: western Indian ocean.
Reference
Aristideae. Henrard 1994.
[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