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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 exilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 40–60 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes scaberulous, or antrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths tight; wider than blade at the collar; striately veined; antrorsely scabrous; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 5–25 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; puberulous to hirsute; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 5–15 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.5 mm long; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–11 mm long; 1.1–1.3 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 4.5–5.5 mm long; cartilaginous; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface scaberulous; pubescent. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight, or bigeniculate; 38–55 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn pubescent. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Stipeae. Vickery 1997.

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