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Synonyms: |
Aristida andoniensis Henrard Aristida rigidiseta Pilg. |
Common names: | Rough three-awn (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Annual, up to 65 cm. high, caespitose, very scabrid and coarse. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, branched in the lower part and from the middle nodes, retrorsely scabrous, 3-many-noded; nodes minutely pubescent. Leaf-sheaths laxly embracing the culm, keeled, scabrous. Ligule long-ciliate; auricles long-barbate; collar minutely pubescent or glabrous. Leaf-laminae 10-20 x 0·2-0·4 cm., flat, glaucous, very scabrous on both surfaces. Panicle up to 20 cm. long, exserted, effuse or contracted and much interrupted, with very scabrid axis and branches; branches 2-nate or solitary, with dark-coloured, shortly pubescent glandular patches in the axils. Spikelets coarse, reddish-green with a black spot at the base. Glumes broadly lanceolate, shortly pubescent on the back, scaberulous on the keel, 1-nerved, awned; the inferior up to 17 mm. long, gradually tapering into a short awn up to 1·5 mm. long, the superior up to 15 mm. long, usually with 2 more or less acute lobes at the apex and a short awn 0·5-1 mm. long from the sinus. Lemma usually c. 11 mm. long, prominently nerved, with coarse antrorsely curved scabridules on the nerves, very rarely almost glabrous, keeled on the back, deeply grooved ventrally, with inrolled margins; callus 0·5-0·75 mm. long, subobtuse, barbate; column absent; awns subequal, usually 18-30 mm. long, rigid, erect or spreading, very scabrous, triquetrous, sometimes slightly winged at the base; articulation absent. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | On dry sandy and basalt soils, sandy-clay loams and stony ground, in disturbed areas, along roadsides, on gravelly flats, on rocky hill slopes, under trees in valleys, in scrub, on kopjies, at edges of shallow depressions |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | SW. Africa, from Mauritania to Eritrea, Tanzania , South Africa, Botswana, Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Zambia, Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 16 November 2013 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 5. Klaassen Esmerialda, E.S. & Craven P. (2003). Checklist of grasses in Namibia SABONET Report No. 20 Page 13. Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 115 - 116. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 100. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 44 - 45. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 131. |
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