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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 ramulosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 15–30 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm diam.; wiry. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; 5–10 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–20 fertile spikelets; aerial, or shorter than basal leaves.

Panicle open; linear; 7–15 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels bearing a few hairs; hairy at tip; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 2 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-branched; with 12–15 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 10–13 mm long; shorter than principal; plumose. Palea without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2–2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis. 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.