Aristida leichhardtiana Domin. Repert.
Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 9: 551 (1911).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Leichhardt s.n., 10 Jan 1847, Australia: Queensland:
Port Curtis District:
Dry-beef Creek (K (photo, BRI); IT: BRI (fragm.), L, 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 (129).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern Queensland
(106(23)), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales, 4th edn (129).
Derivation: L.
-ana, indicating connection. In honor of Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig
Leichhardt (1813–1848) German-born physician.
and Australian
explorer.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms stature slender to delicate, 25–45 cm tall. Mid-culm
internodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparsely branched. Leaf-sheaths smooth or
scaberulous, glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–1 mm long.
Leaf-blades straight, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute, 6–12 cm
long, 1–1.5 mm wide.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic, effuse, 5–8 cm long, 3–6
cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 9–12 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 4.5–12 mm long, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous. Upper
glume apex entire.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 9–10.5 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 6.5 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Queensland, New South Wales.
Queensland:
Burnett, Darling Downs. New South Wales: North-Western
Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains.
Notes.
A. leichhardtiana differs from A. personata by the culms and
inflorescences being much smaller.
South-eastern
Queensland to the central tablelands of New South Wales. Eucalyptus
communities on rocky and sandy soils, occasionally on clay loams. Flowering and
fruiting October to July.
