Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria alba Sm.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Bulgaria to Lebanon, Krym, Caucasus.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10-40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 12-20 cm long; 3-5 mm wide; light green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pilose above; tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle capitate; oblong; 3-8.5 cm long; 0.5-0.8 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; ovate. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; ovate. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 6-9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 6-9 mm long; 1.1-1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 5.5-6 mm long; membranous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 3-5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 3-5 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-1.7 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; awns 0.2-0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3-4 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted. Ovary pubescent all over.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 mm long; hairy all over. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: southeastern and eastern. Asia-temperate: western Asia.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

Native to:

Bulgaria, East Aegean Is., Greece, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Yugoslavia

Sesleria alba Sm. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in J.Sibthorp & J.E.Smith, Fl. Graec. Prodr. 1: 52 (1806)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
  • von Raab-Straube, E. & Raus, T. (eds.) (2021). Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 13 Willdenowia 51: 141-168.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Dimopoulos, P., Raus, T., Bergmeier, E., Constantinidis, T., Iatrou, G., Kokkini, S., Strid, A., & Tzanoudakis, D. (2013). Vascular plants of Greece. An annotated checklist: 1-372. Botanic gardens and botanical museum Berlin-Dahlem, Berlin and Hellenic botanical society, Athens.
  • Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
  • von Raab-Straube, E. & Raus, T. (eds.) (2021). Euro+Med-Checklist Notulae, 13 Willdenowia 51: 141-168.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0