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 magnicaespes

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 50–70 cm long; 2 mm diam.; 2 -noded. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or involute; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; straight; bilateral; 8–12 cm long; bearing 7–12 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis scabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes 10 mm long.

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; 11–18 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus base truncate. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–6 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 4–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 0.6–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct; evenly spaced. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–10 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Cui 1996.

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