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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 muelleri

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms erect, or decumbent; 50–100 cm long; 0.7–0.9(–1.2) mm diam.; wiry. Lateral branches fastigiate, or suffrutescent. Leaves cauline; with blades commonly suppressed, transferring photosynthetic function to sheath and culm. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; ribbed (slightly to moderately). Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; 0.1 cm long; 0.15 mm wide; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1–3 fertile spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels terete, or flattened (slightly); 6–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets subterete; 18–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2–3 mm long; pubescent, or pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes two; persistent; similar; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 18–30 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous, or herbaceous; much thinner on margins; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous (upper 20 %). Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–30 mm long; membranous, or herbaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous (upper 20 %). Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear to lanceolate; subterete; 13–20 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent, or pilose. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma hairs 0.3–0.6 mm long. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 50–100 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column; persistent, or deciduous; limb puberulous (hairs 0.02–0.2 mm). Column of lemma awn 40–55 mm long; puberulous. Palea elliptic (narrow); 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent, or pilose; hairy on back (a band).

FLOWER Lodicules 3; oblanceolate; membranous. Anthers 3; 8–13 mm long; anther tip penicillate.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Stipeae. TB.

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