Poaceae
Sesleria

Sesleria caerulea (L.) Ard.

First published in Animadv. Bot. Spec. Alt.: 18 (1764)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10-45 cm long; wiry. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle capitate; oblong, or ovate; 1-3 cm long; 0.5-1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with evident branchlets on axis, or with lateral stumps on axis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; ovate; 1.5-3 mm long. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; ovate; 1.5-3 mm long. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3-6 mm long; 0.9-1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 3-6 mm long; 0.8-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 4-5 mm long; membranous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 1 -awned (with mucronate lobes). Principal lemma awn 0.5-1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2-2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 2 mm long; hairy at apex. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southeastern, and eastern.
Reference
Poeae. CEH.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Common Names

english
blue moor grass

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images