Stipagrostis pungens

HABIT Perennial. Roots woolly. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 50–100 cm long. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades aciculate; 15–30 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; 10–20 cm long; 2–3 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 14–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1 mm long; bearded; acute; disarticulating obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 13 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 14–15 mm long; 3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5 mm long; coriaceous; 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 twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose. Column of lemma awn 1–2 mm long. Lateral lemma awns 12–15 mm long; subequal to principal; plumose. Palea 0.33 length of lemma; without keels.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north and west tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Aristideae. Fl Iran 1993.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Awn articulation transverse.

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