Aristida purpurea var. perplexa

Allred & Valdes-Reyna
Common names: Jornada threeawn
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 333.

Culms 30-65 cm. Blades 8-20 cm, involute. Panicles 8-20 cm; primary branches stiff, lower branches diverging or divaricate, with axillary pulvini, upper branches usually strongly divergent, sometimes ascending; pedicels often with axillary pulvini; terminal spikelets usually appressed. Glumes reddish; lower glumes (4.5) 5-7 (7.5) mm, 1/2 - 2/3 as long as the upper glumes; upper glumes 8-11 (12) mm; lemmas (8) 10-12 (13) mm long, narrowing to 0.1-0.2 mm wide; awns subequal, (13) 18-30 mm long, 0.1-0.2 mm wide. 2n = unknown.

Discussion

Aristida purpurea var. perplexa grows in sandy to rocky plains and on mesas in desert grassland and scrub communities, often in calcareous soils, in both the Flora region and Mexico. It is sometimes confused with A. pansa, which differs in having cobwebby hairs at the collar, equal glumes, and shorter awns.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

88 +, 66 +, 44 +  and 22 +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.1mm;0.8mm +
Kelly W. Allred +
Allred & Valdes-Reyna +
not disarticulating +
divaricate +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (?) +
straight +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
not conspicuous +
subequal +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
0.1mm;0.2mm +
keeled +  and rounded +
coiled +, disarticulating +  and twisted +
spreading +  and appressed +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
straight +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
scabridulous +
curled +, tightly involute +  and flat +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
spikelike +
well-developed +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
tan +  and chestnut +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
pilose +  and glabrous +
Jornada threeawn +
erect +  and ascending +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (65 cm650 mm <br />0.65 m <br />) +
not woody +
N.Mex. +, Ariz. +  and Tex. +
large +  and small +
thread-like +
capillary +
germination +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
compressed +  and terete +
subtending +
acute +  and acuminate +
unequal +
straight +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +  and 30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (?) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
cauline +  and basal +
whitish +  and purplish +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
tuberculate +  and scabridulous +
fusiform +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
wide +  and narrowing +
indistinguishable +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
1/2 +  and 2/3 +
scabridulous +  and smooth +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
with straight +  and glabrous +
2 +  and 1 +
concealing +
0 +  and 1/2 +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
ascending;usually appressed;ascending +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
not prolonged +
not disintegrating +
shorter or longer +
1 (?) +  and Anatomy (?) +
1 +  and 60 +
1 +  and 3 +
triangular +  and dome--shaped +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Aristida roemeriana +  and Aristida purpurea var. laxiflora +
Aristida purpurea var. perplexa +
Aristida purpurea +
variety +
membranous +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +