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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sesleria argentea
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 35–55 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 10–20 cm long; 3–5 mm wide; 3–10 cm long at summit of culm; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute; simple, or apiculate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets).
Panicle spiciform; linear; 3.5–5.5 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; 5.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–2.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2.5 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 3–5 -fid; awned; 1–3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex muticous, or awned; awns 0.5 mm long.
FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north.
NOTES Poeae. Deyl 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
