Poaceae
Stipagrostis

Stipagrostis acutiflora (Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter

First published in Kirkia 3: 133 (1963)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Sahara to Arabian Peninsula. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending; 20-40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 4-7 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; lanceolate; 5-15 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.3 mm long; pubescent; pungent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus elongated; 1.3 mm long; pubescent; pungent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9 mm long; 1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex dentate; acute; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 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 10-15 mm long limb; with a straight or slightly twisted column; deciduous; abscissing from top of lemma; limb plumose; glabrescent towards tip and base of limb. Column of lemma awn 1 mm long; glabrous; without distinct apical hairs. Lateral lemma awns 5-7 mm long; shorter than principal; glabrous. Palea 0.3 length of lemma; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; 3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: north, west tropical, and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia.
Reference
Aristideae. Fl Afr N.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
Slender caespitose or stoloniferous perennial
Morphology Leaves
Narrowly convolute curved leaf-blades
Morphology General Height
Up to about 45 cm. high.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0