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A new species, Aristida correlliae (Poaceae: Aristida sect. Chaetaria) is described and illustrated from South Caicos Island and Long Cay in the Bahama Archipelago, where it grows on stony open ground as an uncommon member of a diverse, arid, scrub community. The new species is similar to A. refracta and A. calcicola in certain habit and leaf features, but differs from these taxa in culm, spikelet, and leaf blade and sheath apex pubescence characters. Aristida correlliae is like A. lanosa and A. stricta in certain pubescence features but exhibits a different habit and a smaller inflorescence. A key is provided for all species of the Bahama Archipelago. During our recent investigation of the aris- tidas of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, we attempted to clarify the range of A. cognata Trin. & Rupr. in the West Indies (McKenzie et al. 1989). We discovered that numerous specimens that formed the basis for the report of A. cognata in the Bahamas actually are A. adscensionis L. Misidentifications of A. adscensionis apparently result because keys stress the usually annual habit of this species. We agree with McVaugh (1983) that the annual habit of A. adscensionis "may be difficult or impossible to determine from herbarium material, especially in the case of large plants... ." Some specimens of A. ad- scensionis that we have examined would be bet- ter described as short-lived perennials and not annuals. Kelly Allred (pers. comm., New Mex- ico State University-NMCR) observed the same characteristic for many specimens of A. adscen- sionis from western North America. Specimens of A. adscensionis that resemble perennials would key to A. cognata in some manuals. |
