Aristida longespica Poir.
Slimspike threeawn

Habit:		Annual, branched.
Culms: 		20-50 cm. tall, slender, in small tufts or solitary, erect or decumbent and branched at the base,
		simple or sparingly branched above.
Blades: 	3-10 cm. long, 2 mm. wide or less, involute when dry, strongly nerved scabrous above.
Sheaths: 	Shorter than the internodes, not loose.
Ligule: 	Small, hairy.
Inflorescence: 	Panicle slender, exserted, spikelike, the terminal 10-15 to 20 cm. long, the axillary much reduced,
		Spikelets one to few on the short appressed branches, not close together, especially below.
Spikelets:	5-6 mm. long, 1-flowered, narrow, rachilla disarticulating above the plumes.
Glumes: 	Nearly equal, 3.5-6 mm. long, first shorter, 1-(3)-nerved, scabrous on the keel,
		second awn pointed or mucronate from between 2 short teeth.
Lemmas:		4-6 mm. long, about equaling the second glume, 3-nerved, firm narrow, rigid, strongly convolute,
		with a short pilose callus at the base 3-awned at the apex, the central awn sharply curved at base,
		spreading or somewhat reflexed, 5-15 mm. long, lateral awns erect or somewhat divergent, usually one third to one half as long as the central, sometimes only 1 mm. long.
Palea: 		Thin, included by the lemma.
Habitat:	Poor or sandy dry soil. August-September.
Kansas Range:	Extreme southwest (Morton county).
Synonyms:	Aristida gracilis Ell.