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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 pellytronis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly; persistent and investing base of culm. Culms 30–40 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Culm-internodes 1–7 cm long; yellow; distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; ribbed; smooth. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–11 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 7–10 fertile spikelets; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; 2–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 12–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated (spirally twisted); 2.5 mm long; pubescent; with longer hairs below; 2-toothed. Floret callus hairs 0.5–1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar. Lower glume 12–16 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of upper glume; chartaceous; pallid; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; pallid; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; coriaceous. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 25–70 mm long overall; deciduous; abscissing across body of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Lateral lemma awns 13–25 mm long; glabrous. Palea 1.5 mm long; chartaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex truncate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 7 mm long; yellow. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis oblanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 2001.

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