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 brevipes

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Culms 50–100 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; 4–5 -noded. Culm-nodes swollen; pallid, or brown, or purple; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.4–1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 0.4–1 mm wide; stiff, or firm. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 15–30 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–10 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 11–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pilose; acute. Floret callus hairs 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 11–15 mm long; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma linear; subterete; 7–9.8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma hairs 1–1.3 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 1 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; bigeniculate; 23–35 mm long overall; with twisted column. Middle segment of lemma awn 5–9 mm long. Column of lemma awn 4–10 mm long; pubescent; with 0.7–0.8 mm long hairs. Palea 5–7 mm long; 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pilose. Palea apex ciliate.

FLOWER Lodicules 3. Anthers 3; yellow; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 6–7 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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