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Descriptions

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

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

Hordeum brachyatherum

HABIT Perennial. Culms 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; 2 mm long; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong; 0–1.5 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5.5–8 mm long; shorter than fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes coriaceous; 5.5–8 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; enclosed by glumes; 2.5–6 mm long; 1-awned; with 2.5 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 7.5–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar; shorter than spikelet; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Rhachilla extension 3–4 mm long. Apical sterile florets distinct from fertile; rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.4–1.5 mm long; membranous; ciliate; acute. Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Pat 1944.

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