New! - Search other data sources for Stipagrostis damarensis

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 damarensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 60–120 cm long; 1.5–5 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–30 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous, or scabrous; rough on both sides.

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

Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; 20–45 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 -nate; bearing 10–12 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 12–17 mm long; 1–1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–14 mm long; 2–2.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–6.5 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 15–22 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose. Column of lemma awn 5–7 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 9–15 mm long; shorter than principal; plumose. Palea without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

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