New! - Search other data sources for Stipa majalis

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Stipa majalis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; pubescent on abaxial surface; erose; obtuse. Leaf-blades erect to ascending; filiform; conduplicate; 30–40 cm long; 1.1–1.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–8 fertile spikelets. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 12–15 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight; hispidulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 45–70 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 45–70 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy at base. Lower glume margins flat. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 45–70 mm long; 2.5–5.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy at base. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 18.5–21.5 mm long; coriaceous; 3(–5) -veined. Lemma margins covering most of palea; ciliate. Lemma apex rostrate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 300–370 mm long overall; with 230–280 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; with 3–4 mm long hairs. Column of lemma awn 6.5–8.5 mm long. Palea linear; tightly convolute around flower; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern.

NOTES Stipeae. Klokov 2002.

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