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 tanaiticum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 30–80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 8–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 5–16 cm long; 5–7 mm wide. Rhachis glabrous on surface, or pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax. Rhachis internodes oblong.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 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; 3–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–8 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent, or pilose. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliate; with 1–10 enations per keel. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 4.5–5 mm long. 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.