Stipagrostis hirtigluma (Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter
subsp. patula (Hack.) De Winter

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Photo: Bart Wursten
B8 road through Bwabwata

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Synonyms:	Aristida gracilior Pilg. Aristida hirtigluma Steud. ex Trin. & Rupr. var. patula Hack. Stipagrostis hirtigluma (Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter var. patula (Hack.) de Winter
Common names:	Blue bushman grass (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Tufted perennial grass, up to 80 cm high. Culms erect, simple, sometimes branched in the upper part, scaberulous or almost hairless, 2-5-noded; nodes hairless. Leaf-sheaths finely scaberulous, slightly compressed, with broad hyaline margins, the lower ones reduced to scales, the upper ones tight. Ligule a short-ciliate rim; auricles densely barbate; collar glabrous. Leavef-laminae 6-20 cm long by c. 1 mm, scaberulous or hairy above, with a few long hairs near the base, scaberulous beneath. Panicle 30 x 20 cm, effuse and open, with long branches bearing spikelets on long pedicels. Spikelets pallid or purplish-brown. Glumes nearly equal; the inferior 9-11 mm long, rounded or slightly keeled, with a short mucro; the superior 10-13 mm long, slightly 2-fid or emarginate, with a short awn from the sinus. Lemma c. 3.5-4 mm. long (including the callus), conspicuously tuberculate, especially towards the apex, tapering gradually into a column; central awn 5-7 cm long, plumose; lateral awns up to 2.5 cm long, very delicate, naked.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Usually on calcareous soils, limestone outcrops, on edges of pans, also on basalt stony ridges and along roadsides.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	T,GI
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 7 March 2018
Literature:	Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 136 - 138. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 110. Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 202 - 203. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 146. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 192.

Other sources of information about Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula
Flora of Caprivi: Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula
Flora of Zambia: Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula
Flora of Zimbabwe: Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Stipagrostis hirtigluma
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Stipagrostis hirtigluma
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Stipagrostis hirtigluma
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Stipagrostis hirtigluma
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Stipagrostis hirtigluma
JSTOR Plant Science: Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Plants of the World Online: Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Tropicos: Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Wikipedia: Stipagrostis hirtigluma