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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 zeyheri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms 30–75 cm long; 1.2–5 mm diam.; wiry. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 20–40 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 8–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 11–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2.5 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–19 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 11–20 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–8.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or papillose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 16–40 mm long limb; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip. Column of lemma awn 1–14 mm long; glabrous, or ciliate. Lateral lemma awns 13–35 mm long; shorter than principal; plumose. Palea without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 5 mm long. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Aristideae. De Winter 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Awn plume acute.

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