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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 namibensis

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms decumbent; 10–20 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–3 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 3–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.6 mm long; pilose; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1.5–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 14–25 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Column of lemma awn 2.5–5 mm long; ciliate. Lateral lemma awns spreading more than principal; 7–12 mm long; shorter than principal; plumose. Palea without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2–2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Awn plume acute or obtuse.

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