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 saurica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 50–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long; 1–1.5 mm long on basal shoots; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.3–0.4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–9 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–12 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 30–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2–2.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 30–35 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; subterete; 10–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy in lines (6 lines). Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate, or bigeniculate; 120–140 mm long overall; with twisted column; limb plumose; with 4–4.5 mm long hairs. Column of lemma awn pubescent; hairy on upper part. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 5–5.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia.

NOTES Stipeae. Kotuchov 2006.

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