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

queenslandica- named for the distribution of the species, found mainly in Queensland.

Published in
Meded. Rijks. Herb. Leiden 54B: 488 (1928).

Common synonyms
Aristida dissimilis S.T.Blake

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect, 25–109 cm tall, 1–2 mm diam., 2–4-noded. Mid-culm internodes smooth or scaberulous, glabrous or hirsute. Lateral branches simple or sparsely branched or branched or fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous, glabrous on surface or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.2–0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous or pubescent. Leaf-blades curled or flexuous, flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute, 20–40 cm long, 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 3–5 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle or a panicle. Panicle open, elliptic, loose, 7–64 cm long, 2–9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed or spreading, 5–11 cm long. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, lanceolate, terete, 6.2–10.5 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated, 0.5–0.9 mm long, pubescent, acute.

Glumes
Glumes lower deciduous, upper persistent or deciduous, similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, 4.8–11 mm long, 80–100% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume surface smooth to scabrous, glabrous. Lower glume apex acute or acuminate, mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, 5–10.5 mm long, 80–120% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume surface smooth to scabrous, glabrous. Upper glume apex entire or erose, emarginate or acute or acuminate or cuspidate, mucronate.

Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, subterete, 4.6–12 mm long, coriaceous, pallid and light brown, 3-nerved. Lemma surface smooth or scaberulous or scabrous, rough above. Lemma margins involute, covering most of palea, without distinctive roughness. Lemma apex acute, 3-awned. Median (principal) awn 8–18 mm long, without a column, persistent. Lateral lemma awns present, 3–12 mm long, shorter than principal, 50–70% of length of principal. Palea 20% of length of lemma, without keels. Anthers 3, 0.9–1.9 mm long. Grain with adherent pericarp, grooved, 3.6–6.1 mm long. Embryo 25–50% of length of grain. Hilum linear, 30–50% of length of caryopsis.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales.

Northern Territory: Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook, Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, Moreton, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: North Coast.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Aristidoideae

Notes
Aristida queenslandica is a distinct species with lateral awns only about two thirds the length of the median. Its two varieties are distinguished by the culm internodes being hirsute in var. queenslandica and glabrous in var. dissimilis.

Aristida queenslandica Henrard var. queenslandica
Most records are from tropical and subtropical coastal Queensland. Represented in the Northern Territory by four specimens from the "top end" and in N.S.W. by one specimen. Eucalyptus communities on rocky areas and sandstone hills. Flowering and fruiting December to August.

Aristida queenslandica Henrard var. dissimilis (S.T. Blake) B.K. Simon
Recorded from pockets of tropical and subtropical coastal Queensland, sometimes spreading inland, with one specimen recorded from northern New South Wales. Eucalyptus communities on granite sands. Flowering and fruiting January to April, June, November.

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