Aristida benthamii Henrard. Meded.
Rijks. Herb. Leiden. 58A: 246 (1932); 54C: 705 (1933).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: LT: F. Mueller s.n., Australia: Queensland:
Moreton Dist.: Brisbane River (K; ILT: BRI (fragm.)). LT designated by Henrard,
Meded. Rijks-Herb. 54(C): 706 (1933).
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
(106(38)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales, 4th edn (126).
Derivation: in
honor of George Bentham (1800–1884) English botanist.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms 50–90 cm tall, 2–3 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous.
Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous,
glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades
straight, filiform or linear, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute,
20–25 cm long, 3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle linear, 14–30 cm long,
1–2 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 5.5–9 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex
mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, 5.5–9 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled,
1 -nerved. Upper glume surface asperulous or scabrous, glabrous. Upper glume
apex entire or erose, muticous or mucronate.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 3.5–7 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 3–4 mm long.
Continental Distribution:
Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania.
Queensland:
Burke, Burnett, Cook, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Maranoa, Mitchell, Moreton,
North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Warrego, Wide Bay. New South
Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, North-Western Plains. Tasmania:
East Coast.
Notes.
A. benthamii is similar to A. calycina, but has smaller spikelets
and also to A. jerichoensis, from it differs by its lateral awns
differing in length from the median by more than 2 mm. It has two varieties,
var. benthamii with smooth lemma furrows and var. spinulifera with tuberculate
lemma furrows.
Infra -specific
taxa: var. benthamii, var. spinulifera.
Margins of lemma
furrow with one to several rows of tubercles A. benthamii var. spinulifera
Margins of lemma furrow
smooth A.
benthamii var. benthamii
