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 hispidus

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 10–20 cm long. Rhachis flattened; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded, or contiguous.

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; 10–15 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–8.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–8.5 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 8–11 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–8 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; elliptic; membranous. Anthers 3; (4–)6–8 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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