Derivation
Aristida L., Sp. Pl. 1: 82 (1753); from the Latin arista (an awn).

lignosa- from the Latin lignum (wood) and -osa (abundance), alluding to the woody nature of the culm.

Published in
Austrobaileya 2: 94 (1984).

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect, robust, 100–200 cm tall, 3–4-noded. Mid-culm internodes smooth, glabrous. Lateral branches branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute, 15–30 cm long, 2–4 mm wide.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle open or contracted, linear or lanceolate, 7–30 cm long, 0.5–5 cm wide.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 7–11 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated, 1 mm long, pilose, acute, hairs 1.5 mm long.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, 5–8 mm long, 75% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume surface asperulous or scabrous, glabrous. Lower glume apex acute or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, 7–10 mm long, 90–110% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume surface asperulous or scabrous, glabrous. Upper glume apex entire, acute or acuminate, muticous.

Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, subterete, 6–11 mm long, coriaceous, pallid or light brown, 3-nerved. Lemma surface scabrous, rough generally. Lemma margins convolute, covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute, 3-awned. Median (principal) awn 14–23 mm long, without a column, persistent. Lateral lemma awns present, 11–20 mm long, subequal to principal, 78–86% of length of principal. Palea 20% of length of lemma, without keels. Anthers 3. Grain with adherent pericarp, terete, not grooved, 6 mm long. Embryo 25–50% of length of grain. Hilum linear, 50% of length of caryopsis.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland: North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, Moreton, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: North Coast, Northern Tablelands.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Aristidoideae

Notes
Central and south-eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales. Acacia communities in rocky areas. Flowering and fruiting January to November.

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