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.

Hordelymus europaeus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 40–120 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with simple hairs, or reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 5–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; drooping, or erect; bilateral; 5–10 cm long. Spikelet packing abaxial.

Spikelets appressed; in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1(–2) fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; connate along margins below (briefly); persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 5–7 mm long. Upper glume linear; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 5–7 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 15–25 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0.33 length of fertile floret.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; sulcate on hilar side; 7 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. CEH.

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