Aristida psammophila

Aristida psammophila Henrard. Meded.
Rijks. Herb. Leiden
58A :229 (1932).

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

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: LT: C.T. White s.n., Apr 1916, Australia: Queensland: Darling Down Dist.: Dalby (K
(photo, BRI); IT: BRI). LT designated by Henrard, Meded. Rijks-Herb.
54(C): 735 (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
(131).

Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(104(14)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales
, 4th edn (131).

Derivation: Gk.
psammos,
sand; phileo, love. Growing in sandy places.

Habit.
Perennial. Culms 60–120 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Lateral branches
sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs,
0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, conduplicate or involute or convolute, 7–15
cm long, 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, 12–16 cm long, 3–4 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 7–13 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Lower glume apex awned. Upper glume lanceolate,
7–13 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface
asperulous. Upper glume apex entire, awned.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 7–10.5 mm long, without keel, 3 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 3
-awned. Median (principal) awn with a straight or slightly twisted column or
with a twisted column. Column 1.3–3 mm long. Lateral lemma awns present. Palea
without keels. Anthers 3. Grain 4.8–5.3 mm long.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian
Distribution
: Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland:
Burke, Darling Downs, Maranoa, North Kennedy,
Warrego. New South Wales:
North-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains.

Notes.
A. psammophila is similar to A. longicollis in its spicate
panicle but differs from this species by the lemma being scabrous only on the
margin apically and the lemma column consisting of at least one complete
spiral.

Three small regions
from Queensland to northern New South Wales. Eucalyptus, blue-grass
(Dichanthium spp) and Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp) communities
on redearths, loams and clay soils. Flowering and fruiting January to February,
April to May, July.

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