New! - Search other data sources for Elymus smithii

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

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 smithii

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 30–90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 2–7 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–20 cm long. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; 0.5 their length apart. Rhachis internodes linear; 7–10 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 15–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 10 mm long; coriaceous; 5–7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy at base. Lemma margins eciliate, or pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Triticeae. Gr Tex 1993.

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