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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 seelyae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; woody. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; 2–5 mm diam.; woody. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; curved; filiform; 4–7 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; aerial.

Panicle ovate; 2–5 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 6–10 in number. Panicle branches with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1.5 mm long; pubescent; with longer hairs below; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; thinner along midline; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–6 mm long; coriaceous. Lemma margins convolute. Lemma apex awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading, or reflexed; 5 mm long overall; deciduous; abscissing across body of lemma; limb ciliate; hairy throughout limb. Lateral lemma awns subequal to principal; plumose. Palea involute; 1.4 mm long; chartaceous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex emarginate, or obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate; 1.3–1.5 mm long; membranous; veined. Anthers 3. Stigmas yellow. Styles 4.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis oblanceolate; isodiametric; 2–3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.33 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.