Stipagrostis giessii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with soft dead sheaths. Glands elongated. Culms erect; 20–70(–80) cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes ridged; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 3–5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 7–25 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

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

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; 6.5–20 cm long; 1–4.5 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 7–20 in number; ascending; 0.5–7 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches stiff; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–7 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 13–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 12–21 mm long; 0.95 length of upper glume; chartaceous; pallid, or light green; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 13–22 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or light green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; coriaceous; yellow; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface punctate. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 36–105 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing across body of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip and base of limb. Column of lemma awn 7–23 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 20–35 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea 2 mm long; without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 5–6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3.5 mm long. Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Aristideae. Kers 1997.

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