GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Stipa zalesskii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 30–75 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2–5 mm long; 0.8–3 mm long on basal shoots; membranous; obtuse. Leaf-blades erect to ascending; filiform; conduplicate; 20–35 cm long; 0.6–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 7–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 55–60 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower narrower than upper; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 55–60 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled (very slightly); keeled below; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 55–60 mm long; 1.7–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 17–19 mm long; coriaceous; 3(–5) -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy in lines. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; 200–350 mm long overall; with twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; with 5 mm long hairs. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea linear; tightly convolute around flower; 1 length of lemma; coriaceous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; lanceolate; membranous; acute. Anther tip smooth. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and Mongolia.

NOTES Stipeae. Fl USSR 1997.

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