Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria autumnalis (Scop.) F.W.Schultz

This species is accepted, and its native range is Italy to W. Balkan Peninsula.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Stolons present. Culms erect; 25-40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2-0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 25-35 cm long; 2-4 mm wide; 4-8 cm long at summit of culm; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle spiciform; linear; loose; 4-9 cm long; 0.5-0.7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
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; 5.5-6.5 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; 5.5-6.5 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; 5-6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3-4.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy at base. Lemma apex dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 1-3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5-1.5 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns 0.3-0.5 mm long. Palea 4-5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: southeastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.

Native to:

Albania, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia

Sesleria autumnalis (Scop.) F.W.Schultz appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Arch. Fl.: 318 (1861)

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.
  • 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.
  • Meyer, F.K. (2011). Beiträge zur Flora von Albanien Haussknechtia, Beih. 15: 1-220.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • 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.
  • 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