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 gmelinii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–120 cm long; 1.5–2 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–25 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; erect; bilateral; 10–15 cm long; 8–15 mm wide; bearing 7–15 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 10–20 mm long. Rhachis internode tip flat.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; 5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; coriaceous; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; 25–40 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. Koyama 1994.

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