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

A hybrid between Aristida ramosa and Aristida vagans.

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms 37–103 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Lateral branches branched. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate or involute or convolute, 12 cm long, 2 mm wide.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle 8–27 cm long, 1.5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, 5 cm long.

Spikelet
Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension

Glumes
Glumes two. Lower glume lanceolate, 3.7–9 mm long, 1(–3)-nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, 5.2–10.7 mm long, 1-nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex entire or erose, emarginate or obtuse or acute or cuspidate, mucronate.

Florets
Fertile lemma 6–14.1 mm long. Lemma surface smooth or scabrous or punctate, rough generally or above. Lemma margins involute or convolute. Lemma apex 3-awned. Median (principal) awn stiff, 8–20 mm long overall, without a column. Lateral lemma awns present, 7–17 mm long, subequal to principal, 85–87% of length of principal. Anthers 0.3–1.9 mm long. Grain grooved, 5–8.7 mm long. Embryo 25–50% of length of grain.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
New South Wales.

New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Aristidoideae

Notes
Native. Flowering and fruiting January to April, June, September to December. This is the only formally recognised hybrid in Australian Aristida species. It occurs over a fairly wide region of New South Wales where both postulated parents also are found. It shares with Aristida vagans the character of the lemma projecting for some distance beyond the glumes and with Aristida ramosa the general size of the spikelets.

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