Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Sesleria Scop.

Sesleria robusta Schott, Nyman & Kotschy

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

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rootstock evident. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 20-60 cm long; 2 mm diam. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 20-40 cm long; 3-4.5 mm wide; 3-10 cm long at summit of culm; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; moderately hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute; apiculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle tipped by a glumaceous appendage (treated as sterile spikelets). Panicle spiciform, or capitate; oblong; 3-5.5 cm long; 0.7-0.9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with evident branchlets on axis, or with lateral stumps on axis. Panicle axis with scattered hairs, or pilose. 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; ciliate on margins. Spikelets comprising 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; ciliate on margins.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 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; 5-6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or 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 primary vein ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5-4.5 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy on veins. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 3-5 -fid; awned; 1-5 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 3.5-4.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea apex muticous, or 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.
Reference
Poeae. Deyl 1994.

Doubtfully present in:

Bulgaria

Native to:

Albania, Greece, Yugoslavia

Sesleria robusta Schott, Nyman & Kotschy appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Javorka, S. [s.n.], Albania Sesleria robusta subsp. skanderbeggii K000789958 Yes

First published in Analect. Bot.: 1 (1854)

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

  • 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