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.

Agropyron cimmericum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 25–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–11 cm long; 8–15 mm wide. Rhachis pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded. Rhachis internodes oblong; 2–5 mm long.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–6 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–2 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliate; with 1–10 enations per keel. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Eur 1993.

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