Ampelodesmos Link (1827: 136)

Vázquez, Francisco Maria, Márquez, Francisco, García, David & Oualidi, Jalal El, 2025, A taxonomic revision of Stipeae s. l. tribe (Poaceae) in N Africa, Phytotaxa 699 (1), pp. 1-174 : 85-86

Ampelodesmos Link (1827: 136) .

1. Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Poir.) T. Durand & Schinz (1894: 874) . ( Figure 47 & 48 ).

Type:— NORTH AFRICA. Barbarie, collines sablonneuses (lectotype P02646153 !, designated here); isolectotypes P02646077 ! Central branch of panicle spikelet from Poiret Herb .), P02646151 ! (left specimen) .

≡ Arundo mauritanica Poir. (1789: 104) .

≡ Arundo pliniana var. mauritanica (Poir.) Parlatore (1848: 219) .

= Arundo bicolor Poir. (1789: 104) (lectotype P02646152 !, designated here)

= Arundo bicolor Desf. (1798: 107) , nom. illeg., non Poiret (1798: 107)

= Arundo tenax Vahl (1791: 25) [holotype: C10001129 ! (digital imagen), designated here].

= Arundo biflora Lam. (1791: 196) [lectotype P n.v.].

= Calamagrostis bicolor (Poir.) J.F. Gmelin (1791: 172) .

= Arundo ampelodesmos Cirillo (1792: 30) (lectotype n.v.).

= Deyeuxia arundinacea P. Beauvois (1812: 160) pro. syn.

= Donax bicolor (Poir.) P. Beauvois (1812: 78) .

= Donax festucoides (Desf.) P. Beauvois (1812: 78) .

= Donax mauritanicus (Poir.) P. Beauvois (1812: 78) .

= Donax tenax (Vahl) P. Beauvois (1812: 78) .

= Donax ampelodesmos (Cirillo) Trinius (1820: 156) .

= Avena festucoides (Desf.) Raspail (1825: 439) .

= Ampelodesmos tenax (Vahl) Link (1827: 136) .

= Ampelodesmos australis Brongniart ex Duperrey (1829: 31) [lectotype n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos bicolor (Poir.) Kunth (1829: 79) .

= Ampelodesmos effusus Steudel (1854: 195) [lectotype n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos festucoides Steudel (1854: 195) pro. syn. .

= Ampelodesmos tenax var. microstachys Trabut (1885: 396) (lectotype MPU045336 !, designated here).

= Ampelodesmos tenax var. squarrosus Cosson & Durand (1855: 127) [lectotype P n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos effusum Steudel (1854: 195) [lectotype n.v.]..

= Ampelodesmos mauritanica var. effusus (Steud.) T. Durand & Schinz (1894: 874) .

= Ampelodesmos mauritanica var. squarrosa (Coss. & Durand) T. Durand & Schinz (1894: 874) .

= Ampelodesmos mauritanica var. bicolor (Poir.) T. Durand & Schinz (1895: 874) .

= Ampelodesmos tenax var. bicolor (Poir.) Fiori (1896: 66) .

= Ampelodesmos bicolor (Poir.) Brand, in Koch (1907: 2721).

= Ampelodesmos tenax var. concolor Gussone ex Lojacono (1909: 282) [lectotype n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos bicolor (Poir.) Lojacono (1909: 282) .

= Ampelodonax bicolor (Poir.) Lojacono (1909: 282) .

= Ampelodesmos mauritanicus var. bicolor (Poir.) Fiori (1923: 101) .

= Ampelodesmos mauritanicus f. parviflorus Pau (1924: 396 (134)) [lectotype MA n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos mauritanicus f. grandiflorus Pau. 1924: 396 (134)) [lectotype MA n.v.].

= Ampelodesmos mauritanicus var. parviflorus (Pau) Font Quer (1928: nº 24)

= Ampelodesmos ampelodesmon (Cirillo) Kerguélen (1976: 319) nom. inval.

≡ Stipa mauritanica (Poir.) Columbus & J.P.Sm. (2010: 67) .

= Donax ampelodesmos Roemer & Schultes (1824: 335) , prop. syn.

= Festuca elatior Ucria (1789: 80) , nom. illeg. not Linnaeus (1753: 75).

Perennial. Culm erect, glabrous to scabrid, (75–)90–210(–265) cm tall; prophylls to 31 mm, acute, striate surface, pubescent to tomentose. Leaves with glabrous sheaths, or the lower less pubescent, at the throat, especially on the innovations, nearly glabrous on the stem, free margin, ciliated; ligule acute, decurrent, 6–12(18) mm long, ciliated; vegetative blades culms (18–)25–78(–90) cm long, plane to involute, abaxially and adaxially scabrid, striated, scabrous on the margin, to 8 mm wide extended lamina, fertile blades culms 14–55(–75) cm long, plane to involute, abaxially and adaxially scabrid, striated, scabrous on the margin, to 6 mm wide extended lamina, ca. 3.5 mm wide when rolled, rigidly sharp-pointed. Inflorescence 18–45(–57) cm long, panicle lanceolate to ovate-oblong, falling, loose, the axis pubescent, the branches in distant verticils, slender, flexuous, scabrid, spikelet-bearing in the upper half, the lowermost ca. 2.5(–8) cm long, the lower internode of axis as much as 4.5 cm long. Spikelet in groups 2–4 fertile and one apical sterile, adpressed and somewhat crowded along the branches, the lateral pedicel ca. 7 mm long, scabrid; glumes narrow, sub-equal, 7–12(–14) mm long, purple with hyaline aristate tips, 3–5 ribs; lemma slender, 7–10(–12) mm long, not seriated, pubescent in half below, scabrid in the middle rib, with 5–7 ribs, apex dentate, acute, mucronate to short arista 0.8–2(–2.5) mm long, scabrid; callus absent; palea 6.5–11 mm, apex dentate, scabrid; lodicules 3, unequal, the two laterals 1–2 mm long, acute, 2 ribs, apex entire, the posterior 0.7–1 mm long, acute, 1 rib, apex entire; anthers 4.5–7 mm long, apex smooth; stigma 3, flexuous, ciliate. Caryopsis terete, fusiform, 4–6 mm long, brown to pale brown ( Figure 48 ).

Phenology:—April to July (August).

Habitat:—Open areas with calcareous, schistose substrates, below 1800 m a.s.l., often in dry areas.

Distribution:—[Stenomediterranean]. In North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco ( Figure 47 ). The presence of this species in Libya needs to be confirmed (Maire, 1953: 224).

Notes:—The number of flowers per spikelet(1–2), the agglomeration and final development of the spikelet, and the the colour variations of the glumes (green to violet), have favoured the description of numerous infraspecific taxa. These variations (some of them observed within the same plant), are part of the individual variation and have no taxonomic significance. We have also observed some specimens from the Middle Atlas ( Morocco) with glabrous lemmas on the back (ECWP s.n.; RAB 108099), other specimens from Meknes ( Morocco) with pendulous spikelets (RAB 22609), which are also considered variations range here.

SEM results

Figures

FIGURE 47. Geographic distribution of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (yellow mark) in North Africa (from checked herbarium sheets and selected bibliographical data (stars)).

FIGURE 48. Ampelodesmos mauritanicus. a. Plant habitus. b. Spikelet. c. Terminal flowers (Fertile and Sterile flowers). d. Apex Lemma with short Awn. e. Ligule (Sheet + Limb fractions). f. Fertile limb leaf section. Bars indicate 1 mm in d and f; the rest 10 mm.