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.

Koeleria glauca

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately, or densely. Rhizomes short, or elongated. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10–45 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 2–5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle spiciform; linear; interrupted; 2–11 cm long; 0.8 cm wide. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5 mm long; membranous; shiny; keeled. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy all along, or below. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea gaping. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, and Mongolia.

NOTES Aveneae. Domin 1995.

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