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Descriptions

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

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

Stipa capensis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 10–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 5–15 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–15 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; curved; 1 mm long; bearded; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–20 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–20 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 5–7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex entire; surmounted by a ring of hairs; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; twisted together; 60–70 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 30 mm long; hirtellous. Palea elliptic; 0.3 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblanceolate; membranous. Anthers 3; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Stipeae. Fl Iran.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lemma tip dorsiventrally flattened.

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