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 mattheii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 40–90 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths subequal to internodes; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; hyaline; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 15–35 cm long; 0.3–0.4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open; lanceolate to elliptic; 15–30 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 6–7.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.3–0.5 mm long; pubescent; acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7.8 mm long; 1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex surmounted by a ring of hairs; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 50–60 mm long overall; without a column; deciduous. Palea tightly convolute around flower; 1.3–1.8 mm long; 0.5 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1 mm long. Anthers 3; 1–1.8 mm long; purple; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3–3.2 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Stipeae. Rojas 2004.

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