Stipagrostis plumosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally woolly. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curled; filiform; convolute; 4–12 cm long; 0.3–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

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

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 6–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 11–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1–1.7 mm long; bearded; with longer hairs above; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–14 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; pallid; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 11–15 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; pallid; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 3.5–5.5 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 25–60 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip and base of limb. Column of lemma awn 5–10(–15) mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 10–25 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea 0.33 length of lemma; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, 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.