Aristida queenslandica Henrard. Meded.
Rijks. Herb. Leiden
54B: 488 (1928).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: P.A. O'Shanesy 13, 1879, Australia: Queensland: Leichhardt Dist.: on ridges near
Cometville (L-925.125–52 (photo, BRI); IT: 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 (131).
Illustrations:
[1983] J.C.Tothill & J.B.Hacker, Grasses of Southern
Queensland (104(4)).
Derivation: L.
-ica,
belonging to. From Queensland, Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms erect, 25–109 cm tall, 1–2 mm diam., 2–4 -noded. Mid-culm
internodes glabrous or hirsute. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched or
branched or fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous, glabrous on surface
or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curled or
flexuous, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute, 20–40 cm long, 2 mm
wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle elliptic, loose, 7–64
cm long, 2–9 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 6.2–10.5 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, 5–10.5 mm long, membranous, keeled,
1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous, glabrous. Upper
glume apex entire or erose, mucronate.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 4.6–12 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 3.6–6.1 mm long.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland, New
South Wales.
Northern Territory: Darwin &
Gulf. Queensland: Cook, Darling Downs,
Leichhardt, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy, Warrego, Wide Bay,
Maranoa. New South Wales: North Coast.
Notes. Aristida
queenslandica
A. queenslandica is a distinct species
with lateral awns only about 2/3 the length of the median. Its two varieties by
the culm internodes being hirsute in var. queenslandica and glabrous in
var. dissimilis..
Var. queenslandica
Most records are from tropical and subtropical
coastal Queensland.
Represented in the Northern Territory
by four specimens from the "top end" and in N.S.W. by one specimen. Eucalyptus
communities on rocky areas and sandstone hills. Flowering and fruiting December
to August.
var. dissimilis
Recorded from pockets of tropical and
subtropical coastal Queensland, sometimes
spreading inland, with one specimen recorded from northern New South Wales. Eucalyptus
communities on granite sands. Flowering and fruiting January to April, June,
November.
Infra-specific
taxa: var. queenslandica, var. dissimilis.
Culm internodes with
pilose hairs, especially at base A. queenslandica var. queenslandica
Culm internodes glabrous A. queenslandica var. dissimilis
