Stipa oligostachya

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths villous. Culms 30–65 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; convolute; 12–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 15–20 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 3–7 cm long; bearing 2–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 6–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 14 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 9 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate; rough above; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma hairs yellow. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 1–2 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 50 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 20 mm long; puberulous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Stipeae. Hughes 1994.

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