Aegilops cylindrica

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40(–80) cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–12 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; not deciduous as a whole.

Racemes 1; single; linear; flexuous; smoothly terete; bilateral; 6–11 cm long; bearing 4–6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 1 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1–2 in number.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–14 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; asymmetrical; 7–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed. Lower glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn terminal (from 1 tooth); 9–18 mm long. Upper glume oblong; asymmetrical; 7–9 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed; parallel at apex. Upper glume apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn terminal (from 1 tooth); 9–18 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex truncate; awned only on distal spikelets; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 30–80 mm long overall (shorter than raceme). Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Disseminule comprising a rhachis internode.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, and south-central USA.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iran.

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