Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria comosa Velen.

This species is accepted, and its native range is W. & N. Balkan Peninsula.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-50 cm long; 1 mm diam. 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 conduplicate, or convolute; 10-20 cm long; 2-3 mm wide; 1.5-4 cm long at summit of culm. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle capitate; ovate, or globose; 0.7-1.7 cm long; 0.7-1.2 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 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-4 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 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-4 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; 2-3 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 2-3 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 2-3 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 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma hairs 0.2-0.5 mm long. Lemma apex dentate; 5 -fid; awned; 5 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3-4.5 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns 2-3 mm long. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose. Palea apex awned; awns 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.5-2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; hairy at apex. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: southeastern.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.

Native to:

Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia

Sesleria comosa Velen. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Velenovsky, J. [s.n.], Bulgaria K000789964 Yes

First published in Abh. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., ser. 7, 1(8): 44 (1886)

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    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 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