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Descriptions

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

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

Stipa nitens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; conduplicate, or convolute; 5–15 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 7–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3 -nate; 1–3 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; pubescent; pungent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 17 mm long; 1.3 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 13 mm long; 2.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 5 mm long; membranous; light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn bigeniculate; twisted together; 60–100 mm long overall; with twisted column; limb glabrous. Column of lemma awn hirsute. Palea linear; 2.2 mm long; 0.5 length of lemma; membranous; 2 -veined; without keels.

FLOWER Lodicules 3; 1 mm long. Anthers 3; 4 mm long; yellow; anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 4.5 mm long; light brown. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Stipeae. Fl Afr N 1994.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Lemma tip dorsiventrally flattened

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