Aristida acuta S. T. Blake. Proc.
Roy. Soc. Qld 51:169 (1940).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: Queensland: Moreton District: near
Villeneuve, on upper hill slope in cleared Eucalyptus forest on grey podzolised
soil 400 ft., S. T. Blake 13960 (HT: BRI; IT: BRI, K, MEL).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (126).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(104(17)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales, 4th edn (126).
Habit.
Perennial. Culms 40–125 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Lateral branches
branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous, glabrous on surface. Ligule a
fringe of hairs, 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, filiform, conduplicate or
involute or convolute, 7–13 cm long, 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle linear or elliptic,
15–30 cm long, 1–10 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 7.7–15 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1–3 -nerved. Lower glume apex awned. Upper glume lanceolate,
6.5–14 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1–3 -nerved. Upper glume apex
entire, awned.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 7–9 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 3 -awned.
Median (principal) awn without a column. Lateral lemma awns present. Palea
without keels. Anthers 3. Grain 4.5–6 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Burnett, South Kennedy, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port
Curtis, Wide Bay, Burke. New South Wales: North Coast, Northern
Tablelands, North-Western Slopes.
Notes.
A. acuta differs from A. calycina by the acuminate to awned
glumes and by the panicle branches being naked at the base.
One
record for tropical Queensland but mainly recorded from subtropical coastal
Queensland to northern New South Wales. Eucalyptus woodlands and forests
on poor soil. Flowering and fruiting December to April.
