Piptatherum songaricum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–7 mm long; 2–4 mm long on basal shoots; entire, or lacerate; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 5–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–20 cm long; 2–9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; with lower 0.5–0.66 length of panicle. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus curved; glabrous; obtuse; disarticulating transversely; with elliptic scar.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 6–7 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 6–8 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; 1.3–1.6 mm wide; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins involute; exposing palea. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5–7 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 0.5–1 mm long. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; anther tip penicillate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, China, and Mongolia.

NOTES Stipeae. Freitag 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.