Stipagrostis scoparia

HABIT Perennial. Culms 50–70 cm long; woody. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades curved; aciculate; 10–25 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; effuse; 20–40 cm long; 15 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–20 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 18–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 18–22 mm long; 1.2–1.4 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 15–16 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–6 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 7–9 mm long limb; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 7–9 mm long; equalling glumes; subequal to principal; plumose. Palea without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Libya 1993.

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