Poaceae
Austrostipa

Austrostipa elegantissima (Labill.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett

First published in Telopea 6: 585 (1996)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. & S. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland 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. Rhizomes short. Culms rambling, or scandent; 200-300 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades involute; 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; deciduous as a whole. Panicle open; 15-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at most nodes; branching divaricately. Panicle branches plumose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; plumose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident; 1 mm long; pubescent; acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 8-10 mm long; 0.75-0.85 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8-10 mm long; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; subterete; 8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma margins convolute; covering most of palea. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 30-55 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn 15 mm long; plumose. Palea 2 mm long; 0.25 length of lemma; 2 -veined; without keels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Stigmas 2.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Stipeae. Fl W Austral 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 2024. 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 2024. 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