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Descriptions

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

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

Helictotrichon armeniacum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 50–100 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 7–14 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–10 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear; 8–15 cm long; 0.8–1.2 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2.6–4.6 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 15–20 mm long; smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 4–5 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 15–18 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 18–23 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 16–19 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; flat below; 16–17 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 11 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.

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