Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida utilis F.M.Bailey

First published in Queensland Agric. J. 18: 340 (1907)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Guinea to N. & NE. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 53-130 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1.5-3 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3-0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curled, or flexuous; involute; 10-21 cm long; 1.5-2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 15-48 cm long; 1-6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2-3 -nate; 4-8.5 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 8-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.4-0.7 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 8-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.4-0.7 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7.3-16 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.5-4 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8.3-17 mm long; 0.9-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2.5-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8-20 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins involute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate, or 3-branched; with 9-31 mm long limb; with twisted column; persistent. Column of lemma awn 5-9 mm long; glabrous, or puberulous. Lateral lemma awns 0-10 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. Hilum linear; 0.25 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Papuasia. 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