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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 stipoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 30–90 cm long; wiry; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Culm-nodes flush with internodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 7 mm long. Leaf-blades erect; aciculate; involute; 20–70 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 11–22 cm long; 2 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1–4 cm long; bearing 1–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–8 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 15–21 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2–2.6 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–21 mm long; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8.5–12.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea; ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 1.4–3.6 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 20–30 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 10–14 mm long; puberulous; hairy on the spiral. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 2 mm long. Anthers 3; 7.2–8.2 mm long; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.

NOTES Stipeae. Townrow 1994.

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