Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria bielzii Schur

This species is accepted, and its native range is SE. Europe to Ukraine.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2-0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 1.5-2.5 mm wide; 2-3 cm long at summit of culm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle capitate; oblong, or ovate; 1.1-3 cm long; 0.7-1 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; lanceolate, or ovate. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Sterile
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number; lanceolate, or ovate. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5 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, or ovate; 4-5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2-4 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4-5 mm long; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2-4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 4-5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on back. Lemma apex dentate; 5 -fid; awned; 5 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2-3 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns 0.5-1 mm long. Palea 3-6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent. Palea apex muticous, or awned; awns 0-0.5 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: southeastern and eastern.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.

Native to:

Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Yugoslavia

Sesleria bielzii Schur appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Verh. Mitth. Siebenbürg. Vereins Naturwiss. Hermannstadt 1: 109 (1850)

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.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • 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