Leaf blade expanded to tightly rolled; ligule an unfringed membrane
Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle; spikelets all alike, pedicelled
Spikelet laterally compressed, plump and gibbous, disarticulating above glumes; glumes ± equal, longer than spikelet, similar, rounded on back, 3-nerved, awned or awnless
Floret 1; lemma cylindrical, convolute, firmer than glumes, becoming indurated, thick and stiff; margins strongly overlapping, awned asymmetrically; awn geniculate, robust, longer than body of lemma, apex fused at crown just below awn, crown often ciliate, cilia sometimes fused; callus short, blunt, hairy; palea one third or less length of lemma, glabrous, hyaline, nerveless
Stamens with anthers often of two different sizes even within same floret
Ovary glabrous
x = 19
Nomenclature:
*Nassella (Trin.) E.Desv.
Desvaux: 263 (1854)
Chippindall: 287 (1955) under Stipa L.
Clayton & Renvoize: 84 (1986)
Barkworth: 597 (1990)
Gibbs Russell et al.: 224 (1990)
Barkworth: 1 (1993)
Watson & Dallwitz: 635 (1994)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Species ± 15, South America, mainly Andes
Southern Africa: Species ± 5, naturalised, Western and Eastern Cape
BARKWORTH, M.E. 1993. North American Stipeae (Gramineae): taxonomic changes and other comments. Phytologia 74
CHIPPINDALL, L.K.A. 1955. A guide to the identification of grasses in South Africa. In D. Meredith, The grasses and pastures of South Africa. Central News Agency, Cape Town
CLAYTON, W.D. & RENVOIZE S.A. 1986. Genera graminum. Grasses of the world. Kew Bulletin. Additional series 13
DESVAUX, E.E. 1854. Nassella. In C. Gay, Historia fisica y politica de Chile, vol. 6. E. Thunot, Paris
GIBBS RUSSELL, G.E., WATSON, L., KOEKEMOER, M., SMOOK, L., BARKER, N.P., ANDERSON, H.M. & DALLWITZ. M.J. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 58
WATSON, L. & DALLWITZ, M.J. 1994. The grass genera of the world, revised edn. CAB International, Oxon
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Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
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In future, Team SANBI will be able to log in using their day-to-day login details, BGIS users will be able to use their existing accounts and details, and general users will be able to log in using their LinkedIn profile, but for now you will need to create an account.
