Secale

HABIT Annual (4), or perennial (4). Culms erect (5/5), or geniculately ascending (3/5), or decumbent (1/5); 15–65.62–150 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes single; erect (1), or ascending (7); bilateral. Rhachis tough (2), or fragile at the nodes (7). Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded (2), or contiguous (6). Rhachis internodes oblong; falling with spikelet above (7/7).

Spikelets ascending (1/1); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension (2), or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate (2), or oblong (1), or cuneate (6); laterally compressed; 8–13.56–18 mm long; persistent on plant (1), or falling entire (6), or breaking up at maturity (2); deciduous with accessory branch structures (6/6); disarticulating below each fertile floret (2/2). Rhachilla internodes definite.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet (7), or reaching apex of florets (2); thinner than fertile lemma (7), or similar to fertile lemma in texture (1). Lower glume subulate (1), or linear (4), or lanceolate (2), or oblong (1); 1 length of upper glume; membranous (7), or coriaceous (1); 1-keeled (7/7); 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface without pits; glabrous (5), or puberulous (3), or pubescent (1). Lower glume apex acuminate (7/7); muticous (1/7), or mucronate (2/7), or awned (5/7). Upper glume subulate (1), or linear (4), or lanceolate (2), or oblong (1); 0.6–0.8714–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (7), or coriaceous (1); 1-keeled (7/7); 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein eciliate (4), or ciliate (4). Upper glume surface glabrous (6), or puberulous (2), or pubescent (1). Upper glume apex acuminate (7/7); muticous (1/7), or mucronate (1/7), or awned (6/7); 1 -awned (6/6).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (2), or elliptic (6); coriaceous; keeled; wingless; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate (1), or pectinately ciliate (7). Lemma surface smooth (7), or scaberulous (3), or scabrous (1); unwrinkled; without grooves. Lemma margins eciliate (6), or ciliate (2). Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Palea 0.6–0.9125–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth (5), or scaberulous (2), or scabrous (1); eciliate (5), or ciliolate (3). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (1), or distinct from fertile (7); 1 in number (7/7); barren (7/7); linear (1/1). Apical sterile lemmas muticous (6/7), or awned (1/7).

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ciliate. Anthers 3. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid (1/2), or obovoid (1/2). Embryo 0.25–0.29–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe (4), or Africa (3), or Temperate Asia (7), or Tropical Asia (3), or Australasia (1), or North America (2), or South America (1).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.