Stipa chingii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; 15–20 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–20 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 6 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 13 mm long overall; with twisted column. Middle segment of lemma awn 4 mm long. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long; puberulous. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Stipeae. Hitchcock 1995.

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