Hordeum guatemalense

HABIT Perennial. Culms 20–70 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels oblong.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; containing empty lemmas; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–8 mm long; as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes subulate; 5–8 mm long. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; 1–3 mm long; muticous, or 1-awned; with 0–0.7 mm long awn.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.8–7.9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar; gaping. Lower glume subulate; 4.8–7.9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Lower glume surface scabrous. Upper glume subulate; 4.8–7.9 mm long. Upper glume surface scabrous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5–5.3 mm long overall. Rhachilla extension 2–2.4 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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