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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 centralis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths woolly. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 40–80 cm long; 1 mm diam.; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tight; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long; scarious; pubescent on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades involute; 10–25 cm long; 1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 10–30 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; 10–20 cm long; 1–2.5 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1.5–4 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–25 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; subterete; 13–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5–2.5 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume elliptic; 13–18 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous; hairy below. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 12–16 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous; hairy below. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblanceolate; subterete; 5–9 mm long; coriaceous; light brown, or dark brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface granulose; glabrous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.3 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 50–60 mm long overall; with twisted column. Middle segment of lemma awn 7–12 mm long. Column of lemma awn 12–13 mm long; pubescent; with 0.25–0.4 mm long hairs. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 2, or 3; 1 mm long. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.5 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Stipeae. Vickery etc 1994.

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