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 mongolicum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–50 cm long; 1–1.2 mm diam.; 1–3 -noded; with 0.15–0.6 of their length below uppermost node. Leaf-sheaths tight; 3.5–8 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; involute; 2.5–8 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 3.5–7 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Rhachis with scattered hairs to puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 2–5 mm long.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 4 mm long. Disseminule comprising a floret.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Keng 1995.

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