Aristida calycina

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Poaceae
Subfamilia: Aristidoideae
Tribus: Aristideae
Genus: Aristida
Species: Aristida calycina
Name

Aristida calycina R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland.: 173 (1810).
Synonyms

Homotypic
Chaetaria calycina (R.Br.) P.Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr.: 30 (1812).
Heterotypic
Aristida calycina var. praealta Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 20(85): 345 (1915).
Aristida praealta (Domin) Henrard, Meded. Rijks-Herb. 54: 72 (1926).
Aristida armata Henrard, Meded. Rijks-Herb. 58A: 197 (1932).
Aristida glumaris Henrard, Meded. Rijks-Herb. 58A: 247 (1932).
Aristida calycina var. filifolia B.K.Simon, Austrobaileya 2: 95 (1984).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Australasia
Regional: Australia
New South Wales; Northern Territory; Queensland; Victoria; Western Australia

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Brown, R. 1810. Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. pp. i–viii + 145–590, Londini: R.Taylor. BHL Reference page. : 173

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Aristida calycina in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Dec 16. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Aristida calycina. Published online. Accessed: Dec 16 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Aristida calycina. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 16 Dec 2019.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Aristida calycina in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2019 Dec 16.

Vernacular names
English: dark wiregrass

Aristida calycina, commonly known as dark wiregrass,[1] is a species of grass in the family Poaceae that is native in Australia.

Description

The grass-like or herbaceous perennial plant has a compact or loosely tufted habit and typically grows to a height of 0.3 to 2 m (1 ft 0 in to 6 ft 7 in).[1][2] It is strongly branched and has wiry culms. The leaves have smooth or scaberulous sheaths with a ligule that is approximately 0.3 mm (0.012 in) in length. The blade is convolute or conduplicate or sometimes but in some cases is flat with a width of around 1.5 mm (0.059 in). It has lanceolate shaped glumes that are 6 to 20 mm (0.24 to 0.79 in) in length with the upper portion being obtuse and the lower part acute to acuminate. The linear to elliptic lemma is purple or brown in colour with even darker margins and 6 to 9 mm (0.24 to 0.35 in) in length. The divergent flattened awns have a length of up to 30 mm (1.2 in).[2]
Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist Robert Brown in 1810 as part of the work Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. Synonyms include Aristida glumaris, Chaetaria calicina and Aristida calycina var. typica.[3]

There are three varieties of this species:

Aristida calycina R.Br. var. calycina[4]
Aristida calycina var. filifolia B.K.Simon[5]
Aristida calycina var. praealta Domin[6]

Distribution

Aristida calycina is found mostly in the eastern states of mainland Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and parts of the Northern Territory with a scattered distribution that thins toward the west.[3] In New South Wales it is found in all areas apart from the far south west and grows in sandy poor soils.[2]
See also

List of Aristida species

References

"Aristida calycina". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
"Aristida calycina R.Br". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
"Aristida calycina R.Br". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
"Aristida calycina". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
"Aristida calycina var. filifolia B.K.Simon". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
"Aristida calycina var. praealta Domin". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 16 January 2019.