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Descriptions

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

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

Elymus ciliaris

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long; 1.5–3.5 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; ascending; arcuate; bilateral; 10–20 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 10–25 mm long. Rhachis internode tip flat.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 10–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–8 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Lower glume apex with a unilateral tooth, or dentate; 1–2 -fid; acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex with a unilateral tooth, or dentate; 1–2 -fid; acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7–10 mm long; coriaceous; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins ribbed. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex dentate; 1–2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 10–30 mm long overall. Palea 0.66–0.8 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Koyama 1994.

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