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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 colorans

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths sparsely hairy. Culms geniculately ascending; 35–60 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 5–19 cm long; 2–6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; straight; bilateral; 6–8 cm long. Rhachis flattened; smooth on margins; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 6.5–7.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0–1.5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 7.5–9 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–1.5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8.5–10 mm long; coriaceous. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. Melderis 1994.

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