Aristida stenostachya Clayton

Gramineae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, 60-130 cm. high, densely caespitose.

Morphology Culms

Culms erect, robust, simple, glabrous, smooth, 4 — many-noded; nodes glabrous.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf-sheaths longer than the internodes, gaping, glabrous, smooth.

Morphology Leaves Ligules

Ligule a short-ciliolate rim; auricles usually densely long-barbate; collar glabrous, shortly pubescent or barbate.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf-laminae 20-60 x 0·2-0·5 cm., flat at the base, involute upwards, densely ribbed (all ribs of equal thickness), slightly scaberulous above, glabrous, smooth beneath, Panicle 25-40 cm. long, dense, narrow, contracted, interrupted, with a glabrous terete striate axis; branches erect, slightly angular, scaberulous, bearing spikelets nearly from the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets greenish or slightly tinged with purple.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes subequal, punctulate on the sides, 1-nerved; the inferior 10-19 mm. long, acuminate, tapering into a short awn, scabrous on the keel; the superior 9-17 mm. long, 2-fid at the tip, with short obtuse lobes and a very short delicate awn from the sinus.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Lemma 10-15 mm. long, subterete, sometimes with a few dark spots, glabrous and smooth in the lower part, scaberulous towards the apex, gradually tapering into a short beak up to 4 mm. long; callus 1 mm. long, narrow, obtuse, shortly barbate; awns subequal, somewhat rigid, scaberulous; the central awn up to 30 mm. long, slightly curved at the base; the lateral ones up to 25 mm. long, erect; articulation absent.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial, 60–120 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades 20–60 cm. long, convolute, up to 4 mm. wide when flattened.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle contracted or spike-like, 25–30 cm. long and 1–2 cm. wide, sometimes interrupted below; branches usually glabrous in their axils.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets enclosed by the glumes; glumes subequal, 10–19 mm. long, the lower usually the longer, minutely bidentate and mucronate or with an awn-point up to 2 mm. long; lemma subterete, 10–13 mm. long, smooth or obscurely scaberulous on the mid-nerve, passing into the awn without an articulation; callus 1 mm. long, broadly linear, narrowly obtuse at the tip; awn with or without a slightly twisted column up to 4 mm. long, the branches subequal, 2–3 cm. long, rigid.

Habitat

Clearings and waste places in deciduous thicket and bushland; sea-level to 1400 m.

Distribution

K4 K7 T3 T5 T7

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Densely tufted perennial up to 120 cm high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle contracted or spike-like, sometimes interrupted below

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes subequal (the lower marginally the longer), 10–19 mm long, enclosing the lemma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Lemma, including the callus but not the 0–4 mm long column, 10–13 mm long, smooth or faintly scaberulous on the midnerve, with or without a slightly twisted column; lemma or column without an articulation; central awn 2–3 cm long; lateral awns a little shorter.

Distribution

S3; Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia