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Descriptions

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

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

Agropyron desertorum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 25–50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades convolute; 4–12 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 2.5–8 cm long; 5–9 mm wide. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; 0.5 length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 7–12 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; 3–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–3 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins convergent at apex. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–3 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, and southwest USA.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iran 1993.

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