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.

Eremopyrum orientale

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 10–25 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–6 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or an inflated leaf-sheath. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; oblong, or ovate; bilateral; 1–2.5 cm long; 10–15 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded. Rhachis internodes oblong; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures; readily shedding fertile florets.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; recurved at apex. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface hispid. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispid. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins convergent above. Lemma surface hispid. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–5 mm long overall. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ciliate. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iraq.

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