Aristida dominii

Aristida dominii B.K.Simon. Austrobaileya
2: 281 (1986).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Queensland: Cook District: 7 km N of North Kennedy
R., 28 Apr. 1983, J. R. Clarkson 4801 (HT: BRI; IT: AD, CANB, DNA, K,
MEL, MO, NSW, PERTH, QRS.

Recent synonyms:
Aristida hirta auct. non Domin

.

Key references
(books and floras):
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
.

Illustrations:
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australiia.

Derivation: in
honor of Karel Domin (1882–1953) Czech educator and botanist who collected
widely in Australia.

Habit. Annual.
Culms erect, 13–50 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Lateral branches
simple or sparsely branched or branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous,
glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.3–1 mm long. Leaf-blades
curled or flexuous, filiform, conduplicate or involute or convolute, 8–16 cm
long, 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous or scabrous, glabrous or
indumented.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle linear, 12–17 cm long,
1.2 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, laterally compressed, 17–21
mm long.

Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex
awned. Upper glume lanceolate, 17–21 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1
-nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex awned.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 5.1–9 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 3
-awned. Median (principal) awn 48–89 mm long overall, with a twisted column.
Column 10–25 mm long. Lateral lemma awns present. Palea without keels. Anthers
3. Grain 4.5–5.5 mm long.

Continental
Distribution
: Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.

Western Australia:
Fitzgerald. Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland:
Burke, Cook.

Notes.
A. dominii had been called A. hirta until it was shown that the
type of the latter name was really a specimen of A. superpendens (Simon
1986). It differs from A. superpendens by its annual habit, having a
culm height of less than 50 cm and smaller spikelets.

Scattered throughout
northern Australia, but mostly in tropical Queensland. Sandy soils from granite
and sandstone. Flowering and fruiting February to May, July to August.

AVH 2011

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith