Aristida kimberleyensis B.K.Simon. Austrobaileya
2: 91 (1984).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Aristidoideae. Aristideae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Western Australia:
Cardner District: Carson
Escarpment, 29 km ENE of Doongan, 23 March 1978, M. Lazarides 8660 (HT:
CANB-283118; IT: BRI).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Derivation: L.
-ensis, denoting origin. From the Kimberley Region of north-western Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Culms sprawling, 50–100 cm tall, 6 -noded. Mid-culm internodes
glabrous. Lateral branches sparsely branched or branched. Ligule a fringe of
hairs, 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, flat or conduplicate or involute or
convolute, 10–20 cm long, 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle linear, 20–40 cm long, 1–2 cm wide.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 12–16 mm long.
Glumes.
Glumes similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Upper glume
lanceolate, 10–14 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume
surface glabrous. Upper glume apex entire, mucronate.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 9–14 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.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia.
Western
Australia: Gardner.
Notes.
A. kimberleyensis is a distintive sprawling, decumbent perennial with
convolute lemmas not extending beyond the glumes, which are subequal or the
lower slightly longer than the upper. It has spikelets which are superficially
similar to those of A. schultzii but lack a lemma column, and to those
of A. sciuroides but the lemma is convolute and has no
pseudoarticulation and the lower glume is 3-nerved.
Restricted
to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Sandstone savanna
communities. Flowering and fruiting January and March.
