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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Stipagrostis amabilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 150–200 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches fastigiate, or suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades drooping; deciduous at the ligule; aciculate; convolute; 10–25 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex muticous, or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate; interrupted; 10–30 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–13 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1.4–1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7–9 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 25–35 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing across body of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Column of lemma awn 1–2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 10–30 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

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