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.

Stipagrostis acutiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 4–7 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

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

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.3 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9 mm long; 1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex dentate; acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 10–15 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip and base of limb. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 5–7 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea 0.3 length of lemma; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Afr N.

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