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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sesleria albicans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; slender; 10–45 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 10–25 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide; 1 cm long at summit of culm.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets).

Panicle capitate; oblong, or ovate; loose; 1–3 cm long; 0.5–0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; glaucous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4–7 mm long; membranous; glaucous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 4–6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 3–5 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern.

NOTES Poeae. Deyl 1994.

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