Stipa bromoides

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; firm. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long. Leaves basal and cauline; differentiated into sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; smooth; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; membranous; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 15–35 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent (minutely); hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; loose to effuse; 15–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed to ascending; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels flattened; straight; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.2–0.3 mm long; bearded; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; subequal in width; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 3 -veined (vains very prominent). Lower glume lateral veins without connecting veins, or with cross-veins. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acute to acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins without cross-veins, or with cross-veins. Upper glume apex acute to acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear to lanceolate; subterete; 5.5–7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with a short cylindrical neck; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn apical; curved; 1.5–2.5 mm long overall; limb scaberulous; limb glabrous. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma; membranous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex lobed.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.

NOTES Stipeae. TB.

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