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 taygetea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15–25 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 0.5 mm wide; 1–3 cm long at summit of culm. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy abaxially.

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

Panicle capitate; oblong, or ovate; 1–1.5 cm long; 0.7–1.1 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; ovate; 11 mm long. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned.

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

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Deyl 1994.

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