Aristida gracilipes (Domin)Henrard. Meded.
Rijks. Herb. Leiden 54: 209 (1926).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Aristida vagans
var. gracilipes Domin, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 551
(1911).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: L. Leichhardt s.n., 11 Mar 1844,
Australia: New South Wales: Moreton Dist.: Cameron's Bush (K: IT: BR, BRI
(fragm. & photo ex K), BRI, 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 (128).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(104(20)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales, 4th edn (128).
Derivation: L. gracilis,
slender; pes, foot. Pedicels slender.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, 60–115 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes
glabrous. Lateral branches branched or fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth or
scaberulous, glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5 mm long.
Leaf-blades straight, conduplicate or involute or convolute, 4–8 cm long, 0.5
mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, 12–21 cm long, 1–3 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 8–11 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous, keeled,
1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Lower glume apex mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, 4–10
mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume apex entire or
erose, mucronate.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 8–11 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 6–8 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Burnett, Cook, Darling Downs, Leichhardt, Maranoa, Mitchell, Moreton, North
Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Wide Bay. New South Wales: North
Coast.
Notes.
A. gracilipes has longer inflorescences without pulvini and has slightly
longer glumes than A. caput-medusae and A. vagans, and is loosely
tufted with bushy culms with many fine branches. Chapman (1991) is correct in
stating that Lazarides (1980) is wrong in treating this as a sp. nov. (actually
a nom. nov.) by Henrard as it is based on the same type as Domin's variety.
Mainly
south-eastern Queensland with one record from northern New South Wales; a few
other Queensland records. Acacia, brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), Eucalyptus
communities, and rainforest fringes, on clays, loams and sandy soils. Flowering
and fruiting all year but mainly January to July.
