Piptatherum P. Beauvois (1812: 17)

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 : 36-44

Piptatherum P. Beauvois (1812: 17) .

Type:— Piptatherum coerulescens (Desf.) P. Beauvois ( Beauvois, 1812: 18) .

Perennials, caespitose, Simple panicle lax, long peduncle. Flower glumes sub-equal, lemma coriaceous, truncated; palea entire, not involved by lemma; anthers apex glabrous; callus incurved obtuse; awn not geniculated, scabrid and deciduous or persistent.

Key to the Piptatherum species

1. Lineal panicle, 1–2 branches per nude of 0.4–1.4 cm long. Glumes 4–5 mm long ...................................................... P. fumeauxii .

- Lanceolate, obovate to lineal panicle 2–6 branches per nude and (1.7–)2–6(–8) cm long. Glumes 5.5–12 mm ........................... 2.

2. Lemma and palea smooth, only tuff of hairs in the base .......................................................................................... P. coerulescens .

- Lemma and palea pilose to pubescent ........................................................................................... P. holciforme subsp. longiglume .

1. Piptatherum coerulescens (Desf.) P. Beauvois (1812: 18) . ( Figure 16 & 17 )

Type:— ATLANTIS. Desfontaines, without date or number (lectotype P-DESF, Isolectotypes G (herb. Ventenat)!, S14-9283 ! (left exemplar) ( Vázquez et al., 2022: 245).

≡ Milium coerulescens Desfontaines (1798: 66) . (Bas.)

≡ Agrostis coerulescens (Desf.) Poir. in de Lamarck J.B.A.M. (1810: 258) .

≡ Agrostis coerulescens (Desf.) Lamarck ex De Candolle (1815: 250) , isonym.

≡ Urachne coerulescens (Desf.) Trinius (1820: 110) .

≡ Stipa coerulescens (Desf.) Raspail (1825: 449) .

≡ Oryzopsis coerulescens (Desf.) Hackel (1885: 75) .

= Piptatherum coerulescens var. pallidum Heldr. in herb (WU0079476!)

= Piptatherum coerulescens var. stramineum Haussknecht (1899: 42) (lectotype JE n.v.; isolectotype: WU0079476 ! (digital imagen) designated here).

= Oryzopsis coerulescens var. straminea (Hausskn.) Halácsy (1904: 345) .

Culm erect or somewhat geniculate at base, glabrous, 45–95(–120) cm tall; without prophylls. Leaves with sheaths glabrous, or the lower ocassionally scabrid, nearly glabrous on the stem, free margin, glabrous; ligule thin, decurrent, (2.5–) 4–8 mm long, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous, scabrid to pilose; vegetative blades culms 12–32(–40) cm long, involute, abaxially scabrid to pubescent, adaxially striated, scabrous to glabrous, scabrous on the margin, to 6 mm wide extended lamina, fertile blades culms 5–18(–26) cm long, plane to involute, abaxially scabrous to pubescent, adaxially scabrid, striated, scabrous on the margin, to 4 mm wide when extended, lamina, ca. 2 mm wide when rolled, acute apex. Inflorescence (8–)10–16(–24) × 6–12(–14) cm long, panicle ovate, to lanceolate, occasionally lineal, lax, the axis scabrid, the 2–6 branches (1.7–)2–6(–8) cm in distant verticils, slender, flexuous, scabrous to finely scabrid, smooth below, spikelet-bearing in the upper half. Spikelet ovate and somewhat crowded along the branches, the lateral pedicel ca. 6–8(–9) mm long, scabrid; glumes narrow, unequal, 5.5–7 mm upper glume with 5 ribs, smooth; (5–)6–8(–9) mm lower glume, with 7 ribs smooth, frequently purple with acute hyaline tips; lemma slender, sub-ovate, (3.5–) 4–5 mm long, smooth, coriaceous, rolled margin, black, apex obtuse glabrous, base tuff of hairs; without callus; palea 3.5–4.5 mm, smooth, imbricated to lemma, black; Awn (1.8–) 2–2.6 mm long, early deciduous, straight, scabrid. lodicules 3, unequal, the two laterals 1–1.2 mm long, acute, 2 ribs, apex entire the posterior ca. 1 mm long, acute, 1 rib, apex entire; anthers 2–2.5 mm long, apex bearded; stigma 2, plumose. Caryopsis terete, fusiform, 2.5–3 mm long, brown ( Figure 17 ).

Phenology:—Flowering May–July(–August).

Habitat:—Roads and paths, rocky outcrops, mainly in open areas (but also in scrubs and open woods), on many types of soils (preferably calcareous).

Distribution:—[Mediterranean and Turanian]. In North Africa: Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco ( Figure 16 ).

2. Piptatherum fumeauxii F.M. Vázquez, M. Chambouleyron & C. Chatelain (2022: 244) . ( Fig. 16 & 18 )

Type:— ALGERIA. Wilaya , Tamaransset Massif , Hoggar Mountais, Assekrem Südhänge, 18 February 1989, D. Podlech 33388 (holotype G184360 ! (right specimen), topotype G00408273 !, paratype G00408274 !), designated by Vázquez et al. (2022: 244) .

Culm 10–20(–25) cm tall, erect or somewhat geniculate at base, glabrous; without prophylls. Leaves with sheaths scabrous lower and fertile leaves, free margin, scabrid; ligule thin, decurrent, to 0.5–2 mm long, apex truncate, lacerated apex, surface scabrid; vegetative blades culms to 4 cm long, involute to plane, abaxially scabrid to pubescent, adaxially striated, scabrous, scabrous on the margin, to 4 mm wide extended lamina, fertile blades culms to 2.7 cm long, plane to involute, abaxially scabrous, adaxially scabrid, striated, scabrous on the margin, to 3 mm wide when extended lamina, ca. 1.5 mm wide when rolled, acute apex. Inflorescence (4–)5–7 × <10 cm long, panicle lineal, congest, the axis scabrid, the 1–2 branches 0.5–1.4 cm in distant verticils, slender, flexuous, more-less scabrous, spikelet-bearing in the upper half. Spikelet ovate to obovate and somewhat crowded along the branches, the lateral pedicel ca. to 5 mm long, scabrid; glumes narrow, unequal, 4–4.7 mm upper glume with 3 ribs, smooth; 4–5 mm lower glume, with 3–5 ribs smooth, frequently lower green and gold to purple upper with acute hyaline tips; lemma slender, sub-ovate, 2.7–3.3 mm long, smooth, coriaceous, rolled margin, black, apex obtuse glabrous, basal tuft of hairs; without callus; palea 2.6–3.2 mm, smooth, imbricated to lemma, black; awn 0.9–1.2 mm long, early deciduous, rect, scabrid; lodicules 3, unequal, the two laterals 0.6–0.8 mm long, acute, 2 ribs, apex entire the posterior ca. 0.6 mm long acute, 1 rib, apex entire; anthers 1–1.3 mm long, apex bearded; stigma 2, plumose. Caryopsis not studied ( Figure 18 ).

Phenology:—Flowering February–Mars(–April).

Habitat:—Rocky outcrops in the desert mountains.

Distribution:—[Saharan]. Endemic to the Hoggar massif ( Algeria) ( Figure 16 ).

3. Piptatherum holciforme subsp. longiglume (Hausskn.) Freitag ex F.M. Vázquez & F. Marq. (2022: 245) . ( Figure 16 & 19 ).

Type:— GREECE.Argolís, Nauplia in M. Palamid, 28 April 1885, C. Haussknecht s.n. [lectotype JE 00019245! (left exemplar), designated by Vázquez et al. (2022: 245)]. ≡ Piptatherum holciforme var. longiglume Haussknecht (1899: 42) . (Bas.) ≡ Oryzopsis holciformis var. longiglumis (Hausskn.) Halácsy (1904: 354) . ≡ Piptatherum longiglume (Hausskn.) Holub (1977: 429) . ≡ Piptatherum holciforme subsp. longiglume (Hausskn.) Freitag (1975: 372) , comb. inval. (without basonyms). = Urachne sinaica Steudel (1854: 122) (isotype MICH 1229062!). = Oryzopsis coerulescens var. grandis Pampanini (1936: 20) [lectotype FI 018160! (indicant not designated before by Scholz (1974) and

Cuccuini et al. (2016), designated here). = Oryzopsis grandis (Pamp.) Maire & Weiller , in Maire (1953: 87).

Culm erect or somewhat geniculate at base, glabrous, (40–) 55–92 cm tall; without prophylls. Leaves with glabrous sheaths, or the lower ocassionally scabrid, nearly glabrous on the stem, free margin, glabrous; ligule thin, decurrent, (3–) 4–8 mm long, apex acute to obtuse, lacerate, glabrous; vegetative blades culms 11–30(–45) cm long, involute, abaxially scabrid to pubescent, adaxially striated, scabrous to glabrous, scabrous on the margin, to 6 mm wide extended lamina; fertile blades culms to 28 cm long, plane to involute, abaxially scabrous, adaxially scabrid, striated, scabrous on the margin, to 4 mm wide when extended lamina, ca. 2 mm wide when rolled, obtuse apex. Inflorescence 12–16(– 20) × 7–9(–12) cm long, panicle ovate, lax, the axis scabrid, the 2–6 branches 2–5(–6) cm in distant verticils, slender, flexuous, more or less scabrous, smooth below, spikelet-bearing in the upper half. Spikelet ovate to lanceolate and somewhat crowded along the branches, the lateral pedicel ca. 6–9 mm long, scabrid; glumes narrow, unequal, 10–12 mm upper glume with 5–7 ribs, smooth; 11–14 mm lower glume, with 5–7 ribs smooth, frequently purple with acute hyaline tips; lemma slender, sub-ovate, 5–8 mm long, pubescent with hairs to 0.35 mm, especially in upper, coriaceous, rolled margin, black, apex acute, basal tuft of hairs; without callus; palea 5–7.5 mm, pubescent, imbricated to lemma, black; awn 10–15 mm long, deciduous, rect, scabrid; lodicules 3, unequal, the two laterals 1–1.2 mm long, acute, 2 ribs, apex entire the posterior ca. 1 mm long, acute, 1 rib, apex entire; anthers 3–4 mm long, apex bearded; stigma 2, plumose. Caryopsis terete, ellipsoid, 3–3.5 mm long, brown ( Figure 19 ).

Phenology:—Flowering March–May.

Habitat:—Rocky outcrops.

Distribution:—[Stenomediterranean Northern and Irano-Turanian]. In North Africa: Egypt, Libya ( Figure 16 ).

Notes:—Absent from Morocco ( Vazquez et al., 2022: 245).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Geographic distribution of Piptatherum: Piptatherum holciforme subsp. longiglume (red mark) Piptatherum coerulescens (yellow mark) and Piptatherum fumeauxii (blue mark) in North Africa (from checked herbarium sheets and selected bibliographical data (stars)).

FIGURE 17. Piptatherum coerulescens. a, a’. Plant habitus. b. Spikelets; c, c’. Anthecium + Awn [dorsal (c) and ventral views (c’)]. d. Awn fragment + basal section. e. Ligule (Sheet + Limb fractions). f. Limb cross section. Bars indicate 1 mm in b, c, c’, d, and f; the rest 10 mm.

FIGURE 18. Piptatherum fumeauxii. a. Plant habitus. b. Spikelets. c. Anthecium + Awn (ventral view). d. Awn + basal section (d’) + apical section (d’’). e. Ligule (Sheet + Limb fractions). f. Limb cross section. g. Anthers. h. Anterior lodicules. h’. Posterior lodicule. i. Glumes. Bars indicate 1 mm in b, c, c’, d, f, g h and i; the rest 10 mm.

FIGURE 19. Piptatherum holciforme subsp. longiglume. a. Inflorescence fraction. b. Spikelet. c. Anthecium (dorsal view). c’. Anthecium (ventral view). c’’. Anthecium open + anthers. d. Awn. e. Anterior lodicules. e’. Posterior lodicule. Bars indicate 1 mm in b, c, c’, d, d and e; the rest 10 mm.