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Descriptions

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

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

Heteranthelium piliferum

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 10–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute; with reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–12 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; bilateral; 2.5–5 cm long. Rhachis fracturing into irregular segments. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; falling in segments of 1–2 fertile nodes surmounted by 1–3 nodes of sterile spikelets, these alternating along the raceme.

Spikelets ascending; solitary and in a cluster of closely packed nodes (1 per node). Fertile spikelets sessile; 1–2 in the cluster (below). Companion sterile spikelets sessile; 1–3 in the cluster (above).

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by awns.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1–2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; gaping. Lower glume subulate; 13–15 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy below. Upper glume subulate; 13–15 mm long. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy below.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface tuberculate; villous. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 20–25 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets 2–4 in number; barren; in a clump; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Embryo 0.25–0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iraq.

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