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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Elymus purpurascens

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Roots woolly. Culms erect; 60–90 cm long; 1.5–2 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths loose; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; membranous; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 13–22 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; drooping; bilateral; 15–15 cm long; bearing 6–13 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins, or ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes 10–20(–23) mm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; 15–23 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pubescent. Floret callus hairs 0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; inner surface pilose. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 18–28 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Chen 2001.

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