Stipa parishii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–45 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 7–15 cm long; stiff.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; 15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–3 -nate; 5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 12–14 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface villous. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 18 mm long overall; with twisted column.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA and Mexico.

NOTES Stipeae. Vasey 2004.

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