Stipagrostis sahelica

HABIT Perennial. Roots woolly. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–15 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–7 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 18–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pilose; acute. Floret callus hairs 0.7 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–13 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex emarginate; mucronate. Upper glume linear; 4–5 mm long; 4–5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 40 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose. Column of lemma awn 5–7.5 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 10–15 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea without keels.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3.5 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north and west tropical.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Afr N 1993.

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