Poaceae
Aristida

Aristida capillacea Lam.

First published in Tabl. Encycl. 1: 156 (1791)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to S. Tropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms 11-24 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or bearded (sparsely). Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades straight; conduplicate; 2.1-6 cm long; 0.8-0.9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; antrorsely scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open (capilaceous branches); 6-10 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets subterete; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.2 mm long; pilose; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets subterete; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.2 mm long; pilose; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar (lower shorter than upper). Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5-3.5 mm long; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough generally. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.2-3.9 mm long; 1 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex entire; acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma subterete; 2-3.6 mm long; without keel; rounded throughout; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above; without grooves. Lemma margins convolute. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; ascending; simple at base; with 7-8 mm long limb; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 1-2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns ascending; 6-7 mm long; subequal to principal.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.
Reference
Aristideae. LO-W 1993.
[GB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Guiana Shield, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 0–1500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Casanare, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Tolima, Vichada.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
paja del Niño Dios, paja navidad, pelo de ángel
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1500 m.; Andes, Guayana y Serranía de La Macarena, Orinoquia, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0