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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 lessoniana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short; scaly. Culms 100–150 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 20–40 cm long; 4–8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 40–75 cm long. Primary panicle branches 5–8 -nate; whorled at most nodes. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.75–3.25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.15–0.2 mm long; pubescent; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.15–0.2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.75–3.25 mm long; 1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; 1-keeled; 1(–3) -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex erose; acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2.1–2.4 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; straight; 4–9 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea 1.5–1.6 mm long; 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex erose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.6 mm long. Anthers 1; 1 mm long; yellow; anther tip penicillate (on only1 anther). Stigmas 2; laterally exserted; plumose. Styles 0 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 1.5 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic; 0.15 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Stipeae. Veldkamp 1997.

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