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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 psylantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; filiform; convolute; 3–20 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; dense; nodding; 5–19 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels ciliate; hairy all along but hairs longer above; with 1.5–4 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 18–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 1.5–3 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.1 length of upper glume; hyaline; yellow, or purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–25 mm long; 2–3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; yellow, or purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8.5–11.5 mm long; coriaceous; dark brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.7 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved, or geniculate; 70–110 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column; limb plumose; with 2–10 mm long hairs; glabrescent towards tip. Column of lemma awn 17–30 mm long; plumose; with 2–10 mm long hairs. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; 4.5–5 mm long; anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 7–7.5 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Torres 1994.

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