Stipagrostis uniplumis

HABIT Perennial; persisting, or short-lived; caespitose. Culms 30–80 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 5–15 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 10–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; curved; 1 mm long; bearded; with longer hairs above; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; 3–4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 2–3.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate (finely); rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 20–35 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Column of lemma awn 5 mm long; glabrous; with bearded apex. Lateral lemma awns ascending; 10–12 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Aristideae. FTEA.

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