Poaceae
Sesleria

Sesleria juncifolia Suffren

First published in Princ. Bot.: 113 (1802)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Italy to W. Balkan Peninsula. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with reticulate dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20-30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; 15-30 cm long; 0.4-0.6 mm wide; pruinose. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5-15 fertile spikelets. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; loose; 1-3 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Basal sterile spikelets represented by a single scale; 2 in number. Basal sterile spikelet glumes membranous. Spikelets comprising 3-4 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 3-4 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; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 4-5 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 1-3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns 0-1.5 mm long. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; terminally exserted; pubescent. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: southeastern.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.
[GB]

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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