Stipagrostis paradisea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths coriaceous; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 20–45 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades straight, or curled; filiform; convolute; 3–20 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 16–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 0.5–0.75 mm long; bearded; with longer hairs above; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 16–19 mm long; 1.2 length of upper glume; membranous; pallid; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 13–16 mm long; 3–3.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; pallid; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 3.5–5 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 45–70 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip. Column of lemma awn 12–16 mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 20–30 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Iran.

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