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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 gigantea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths herbaceous; distinctly ribbed; glabrous. Culms erect; 150–250 cm long; 3–6 mm diam. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 35–75 cm long; 0.9–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; loose, or effuse; (20–)30–50 cm long. Primary panicle branches naked below. Panicle branches flat; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 22–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus square. Floret callus elongated; straight to curved; 2–2.5 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 22–30 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined (very prominently). Upper glume lanceolate; 22–30 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined (very prominently). Upper glume apex acuminate, or caudate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear to lanceolate; subterete; 14–18 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; with oblong lobes; incised 0.2–0.3 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 70–120 mm long overall; with 22–30 mm long limb; with twisted column; limb scabrous. Palea lanceolate; tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface villous; hairy on back. Palea apex acuminate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; linear; 12–14 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2; plumose.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. Africa: north.

NOTES Stipeae. TB.

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