Stipa scirpea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 26–70 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; convolute; 1–4 cm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 4–8 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath; embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; 1–2.5 cm long; 0.3–0.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 3.75–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 0.5 mm long; glabrous; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.75–4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–3.75 mm long; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 2–2.25 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 16–22 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Spegazzini 2001.

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