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 dregeana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 15–30 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 6–14 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 5–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 11–13 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; 11–13 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 11–13 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4 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 30–40 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Column of lemma awn 4 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 10–19 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous, or ciliate. Palea without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Awn plume obtuse.

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