Stipa cretacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–40 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy; inner surface puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.5–3 mm long on basal shoots; pubescent on abaxial surface; bilobed, or trilobed. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 60–70 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pilose; hairy on the margins; acute. Floret callus hairs 4–5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 60–70 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear to lanceolate; subterete; 21–23 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 270–320 mm long overall; with 190–240 mm long limb; with twisted column; limb plumose; with 5 mm long hairs. Middle segment of lemma awn 18–20 mm long. Column of lemma awn 50–60 mm long; smooth. Palea 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern.

NOTES Stipeae. Smirnov 1996.

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