New! - Search other data sources for Elymus falcis

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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.

Elymus falcis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms decumbent, or prostrate; 10–35 cm long. Culm-internodes glaucous; smooth. Leaf-sheaths 2–5 cm long; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long; erose. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades curved; terete; 5–15 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy abaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 2–10 cm long; bearing 1–4 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; smooth on margins, or scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip flat.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 40–50 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus 0.75 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate to setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–9 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate to setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; coriaceous; pruinose; keeled. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; reflexed; 30–50 mm long overall. Palea 7–10 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.2–1.4 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.4–2.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6–6.5 mm long. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Triticeae. Connor 2000.

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