GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Aegilops umbellulata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 10–30 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole.

Racemes 1; single; lanceolate, or ovate; bilateral; 2.5–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes cuneate; 2 mm long; 0.25 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; (2–)3 in number.

Apical sterile spikelets barren; 1–3 in number (many-awned); 5–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 7–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume obovate; 5–8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins unequally thickened. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex truncate; awned; 3–5 -awned. Lower glume awn 20–35 mm long. Upper glume obovate; 5–8 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins parallel at apex. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 3–5 -awned. Upper glume awn 20–35 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex awned; 1–3 -awned. Principal lemma awn spreading; 15–35 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Lateral lemma awns shorter than principal. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. 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; ellipsoid; hairy at apex. Disseminule comprising a inflorescence.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iraq.

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