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.

Stipagrostis obtusa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 1.5–25 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; grooved adaxially; smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 2.5–20 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8.5–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; bearded; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8.5–12 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–11 mm long; 4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; subterete; 2–2.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 20–30 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards base of limb. Column of lemma awn 4–10 mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 7–18 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea without keels.

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

NOTES Aristideae. FZ.

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