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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 secalinum
HABIT Annual. Culms 20–80 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 2–6 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 2–8 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, or male; lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–6 mm long; shorter than fertile, or as long as fertile; deciduous with the fertile. Companion sterile spikelet glumes subulate; 7–14 mm long; wingless; eciliate on margins. Companion sterile spikelet lemmas 1; exserted from glumes; 4–6 mm long; 1-awned; with 2–3 mm long awn.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 6–9 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes collateral; similar; gaping. Lower glume subulate; 7–14 mm long; 1 length of upper glume. Lower glume margins eciliate. Upper glume subulate; 7–14 mm long. Upper glume margins eciliate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 6–12 mm long overall; limb scabrous.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. South America: southern South America.
NOTES Triticeae. CEH.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.