Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria argentea (Savi) Savi

This species is accepted, and its native range is Spain to Italy, Morocco.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 35-55 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 10-20 cm long; 3-5 mm wide; 3-10 cm long at summit of culm; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute; simple, or apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle spiciform; linear; 3.5-5.5 cm long; 0.5-0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.5-7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.5-7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5-7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-2.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-7 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5-5.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 1-3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex muticous, or awned; awns 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.

Native to:

France, Italy, Morocco, Spain

Sesleria argentea (Savi) Savi appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Bot. Etrusc. 1: 68 (1808)

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.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

  • 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