Stipagrostis brachyathera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long. Culm-internodes striate; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; convolute; 10–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1 -nate; rebranched near base; 3–7 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pubescent and bearded; with longer hairs above; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 7 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 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 8–12 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip. Column of lemma awn 1–2 mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 8–12 mm long; subequal to principal; glabrous. Palea oblong; 0.3 length of lemma; 0 -veined; without keels. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; dorsally compressed; 3 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.3–0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north and west tropical.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Afr N 1999.

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