familyPoaceae
subfamilyPoaceae subfam. Aristidoideae
tribePoaceae tribe Aristideae
genusAristida
speciesAristida purpurea
varietyAristida purpurea var. purpurea

Aristida purpurea var. purpurea

Kelly W. Allred
Common names: Purple threeawn
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 333.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Andy Sudkamp, Linda A. Vorobik

Copyright: Utah State University

Culms 26-60 cm. Blades 3-17 cm, basal and cauline, involute. Panicles 10-25 cm; primary branches appressed at the base, without axillary pulvini, capillary, drooping to sinuous distally; pedicels capillary, usually lax to sinuous. Lower glumes 4-9 mm; upper glumes 7-16 mm; lemmas 6-12 mm long, narrowing to 0.1-0.3 mm wide; awns subequal, (15) 20-60 mm long, 0.1-0.3 mm wide at the base. 2n = 22, 44, 66, 88.

Distribution

Kans., Okla., Colo., N.Mex., Tex., La., Utah, Calif., Ariz., Ark., Nev.

Discussion

Aristida purpurea var. purpurea grows in sandy to clay soils, along right of ways, or on dry slopes and mesas. Its range extends from the Flora region to Mexico and Cuba. As treated here, var. purpurea is, admittedly, a broadly defined taxon, incorporating slender plants with small spikelets that used to be referred to A. roemeriana Scheele, but also occasional plants with somewhat flexible branches that are intermediate to var. wrightii and var. nealleyi.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Aristida purpurea var. purpurea"
RDF feed
2n chromosome quantity
88 +, 66 +, 44 +  and 22 +
Abaxial ligule presence
absent +
Abaxial ligule quantity
of hairs +
Adaxial cell presence
absent +
Adaxial cell shape
bulliform +
Adaxial ligule architecture or pubescence or shape
of hairs +  and ciliate +
Adaxial ligule presence
absent +
Adaxial ligule texture
membranous +
Anther quantity
3 +
Anther some measurement
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Apex architecture or shape
not beaked +
Apex width
0.1mm;0.8mm +
Arm cell presence
absent +
Arm cell quantity
kranz +
Auricle presence
absent +
Auricle quantity
lacking +
Author
Kelly W. Allred +
Authority
Nutt. +
Awn architecture
not disarticulating +
Awn arrangement
divaricate +
Awn atypical quantity
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Awn atypical some measurement
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (?) +
Awn base presence
absent +
Awn base size
reduced +
Awn course
straight +
Awn length
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Awn orientation
ascending +
Awn prominence
not conspicuous +
Awn quantity
1 +
Awn size
subequal +
Awn some measurement
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
Awn width
0.1mm;0.3mm +
Back shape
keeled +  and rounded +
Base architecture
coiled +, disarticulating +  and twisted +
Base arrangement
close +
Base arrangement or shape
contorted +
Base orientation
spreading +  and appressed +
Base position
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
Base size
swelling +
Base texture
hard +
Base width
thick +
Beak architecture
twisted +
Beak course
straight +
Beak some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Blade architecture or arrangement
lax +
Blade coloration
gray-green +
Blade length
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
Blade position
cauline +  and basal +
Blade pubescence
glabrous +
Blade relief
scabridulous +
Blade shape
curled +, tightly involute +  and flat +
Blade shape or vernation
involute +
Blade some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
Blade width
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Branch shape
spikelike +
Callus development
well-developed +
Callus pubescence
hirsute +
Callus some measurement
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
Caryopsis coloration
tan +  and chestnut +
Caryopsis life cycle
falling +
Caryopsis shape
fusiform +
Caryopsis some measurement
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
Cell architecture or arrangement
non-radiate +  and radiate +
Cell position
adaxial +
Central awn quantity
0 (1/3) +
Central awn width
thicker +
Collar pubescence
pilose +  and glabrous +
Common name
Purple threeawn +
Culm architecture
unbranched +
Culm architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Culm duration
annual +
Culm growth form
climbing +
Culm growth form or location
floating +
Culm orientation
erect +  and ascending +
Culm some measurement
26 cm260 mm <br />0.26 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
Culm texture
not woody +
Distribution
Kans. +, Okla. +, Colo. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Utah +, Calif. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +  and Nev. +
Embryo presence
absent +
Embryo quantity
cleft +
Embryo size
large +  and small +
Endosperm texture
hard +
Fiber shape
thread-like +
Filament shape
capillary +
Flap character
germination +
Floret architecture
pistillate +  and staminate +
Floret length or size
sometimes longer +
Floret quantity
1 +
Floret reproduction
bisexual +
Floret shape
compressed +  and terete +
Fusoid cell presence
absent +
Glume architecture
1-3-veined +
Glume architecture or shape
awned +
Glume length or size
often longer +
Glume position
subtending +
Glume quantity
2 +
Glume shape
acute +  and acuminate +
Glume size
unequal +
Glume width
thin +
Hair course
straight +
Hilum arrangement or course or shape
linear +
Hilum coloration or relief
punctate +
Hilum height or length or size
short +
Hilum length or size
long +
Illustration
Present +
Illustration copyright
Utah State University +
Illustrator
Linda A. Vorobik +  and Andy Sudkamp +
Inflorescence architecture
not leafy +
Inflorescence length
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +  and 30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (?) +
Inflorescence position or structure subtype
terminal +
Inflorescence width
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
Internode architecture
hollow +
Internode length
elongated +
Lateral awn atypical some measurement
8 +
Lateral awn prominence
obsolete +
Lateral awn size
subequal +
Lateral awn some measurement
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
Layer presence
absent +
Leaf arrangement
distichous +
Leaf position
cauline +  and basal +
Lemma apex shape
narrowed +
Lemma architecture
3-veined +
Lemma architecture or shape
awned +
Lemma arrangement or shape
convolute +
Lemma coloration
whitish +  and purplish +
Lemma length
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
Lemma margin arrangement
overlapping +
Lemma pubescence
glabrous +
Lemma relief
tuberculate +  and scabridulous +
Lemma shape
fusiform +
Lemma some measurement
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
Lemma texture
coriaceous +
Lemma width
wide +  and narrowing +
Ligule presence
absent +
Ligule prominence
indistinguishable +
Ligule quantity
2 (?) +
Ligule some measurement
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
Lodicule fusion
free +
Lodicule presence
absent +
Lodicule prominence
inconspicuous +
Lodicule pubescence
glabrous +
Lodicule quantity
2 +
Lodicule texture
membranous +
Lower glume architecture
1(2)-veined +
Lower glume architecture or shape
awned +
Lower glume coloration
Light (Dark-brown or purplish) +
Lower glume height or length or size
shorter +
Lower glume pubescence
glabrous +
Lower glume relief
scabridulous +  and smooth +
Lower glume shape
acuminate +
Lower glume size
subequal +
Lower glume some measurement
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Microhair presence
absent +
Midrib architecture
simple +
Node prominence
concealed +  and prominent +
Node pubescence
with straight +  and glabrous +
Node some measurement
0.5 +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Other quantity
2 +  and 1 +
Ovary presence
absent +
Ovary pubescence
glabrous +
Palea architecture
2-veined +
Palea height or length or size
shorter +
Palea life cycle
maturity +
Palea position
concealing +
Palea presence
absent +
Palea quantity
0 +  and 1/2 +
Palea shape
keeled +
Paleum fixation
attached +
Panicle architecture
branched +
Panicle some measurement
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
Pedicel architecture or arrangement
lax +
Pedicel course
sinuous +
Pedicel shape
capillary +
Pericarp arrangement
separating +
Pericarp condition or texture
dry +
Pericarp texture
dry +  and fleshy +
Primary branch arrangement
divaricate +
Primary branch course
sinuous +
Primary branch fixation or orientation
appressed +
Primary branch fragility
Stiff (Flexible) +
Primary branch orientation
drooping +
Primary branch shape
capillary +
Primary branch some measurement
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Primary branch variability
varying +
Rachilla extension presence
absent +
Rachilla length
not prolonged +
Rachis prominence
evident +
Reference
None +
Sheath architecture
open +
Sheath condition
closed +
Sheath dehiscence
not disintegrating +
Sheath height or length or size
shorter +
Sheath length or size
shorter or longer +
Sheath presence
absent +
Sheath pubescence
glabrous +
Sheath quantity
1 (?) +  and Anatomy (?) +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V25/V25 1016.xml +
Spikelet arrangement
divergent +
Spikelet fixation
attached +
Spikelet fixation or orientation
appressed +
Spikelet quantity
1 +  and 60 +
Spikelet reproduction
bisexual +
Stamen quantity
1 +  and 3 +
Starch-grain architecture
compound +
Stomatal subsidiary-cell shape
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
Style-branch atypical quantity
4 +  and 1 +
Style-branch quantity
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Style fusion
free +
Style quantity
2 +
Synonyms
Aristida roemeriana +  and Aristida purpurea var. laxiflora +
Taxon family
Poaceae +
Taxon name
Aristida purpurea var. purpurea +
Taxon parent
Aristida purpurea +
Taxon rank
variety +
Terminal awn quantity
3 +
Terminal cell architecture
thin-walled +
Terminal cell length or size
long +
Terminal cell size
slender +
Tissue coloration
hyaline +
Tissue texture
membranous +
Upper glume some measurement
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
Vein presence
absent +
Vein quantity
2 (?) +
Vein size
major +
Volume
Volume 25 +
Whole organism architecture
rhizomatous +
Whole organism arrangement or pubescence
tufted +
Whole organism duration
perennial +
Whole organism growth form
plant +  and cespitose +
Whole organism growth form or habitat
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
Whole organism growth form or texture
herbaceous +
X chromosome quantity
12 +  and 11 +