Vulpiella stipoides

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–40 cm long. Culm-nodes black. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; lacerate; truncate, or obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades 2–8 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; elliptic, or ovate; 4–9 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear, or oblong; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–40 mm long; 5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.66 length of upper glume; scarious; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; 1-keeled; 2–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–8 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 2–8 mm long overall. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; laterally compressed; trigonous; sulcate on hilar side; 2.5–3 mm long. Embryo 0.25–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

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