Poaceae
Sesleria

Sesleria insularis Sommier

First published in Bull. Soc. Bot. Ital. 1905: 126 (1905)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Baleares to NW. Balkan Peninsula. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 30-65 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, or convolute; 1.5-3 mm wide; 1-10 cm long at summit of culm; without exudate, or pruinose. Leaf-blade venation with 13-21 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle capitate; oblong; dense; 1.5-4.5 cm long; 0.7-0.8 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; 5-6 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; 5-6 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; 4-6 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 acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-3 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 4-6 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 1-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 5-6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 5 -fid; awned; 5 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-4.5 mm long overall. Palea 4-5.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex awned.
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.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). 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 Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0