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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 festucoides
HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths dark brown; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25–60 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 15–35 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 inner ridges. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–15 cm long. Rhachis semiterete; puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip flat.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma margins clavately ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 0.75 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 5.5 mm long; yellow. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 6 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.
NOTES Triticeae. Fl Afr N 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
