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.

Arrhenatherum palaestinum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 17–55(–100) cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–22 cm long; 1.4–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 7–27 cm long; 2–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–4 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–15 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated below proximal fertile floret. Rhachilla elongation 1–2.5 mm long. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 8–14 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; dentate; 2 -fid; acute, or acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret dorsal; arising 0.1 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 20–28 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 8.1 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 4.5–6 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

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

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.

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