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.

Leymus crassiusculus

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect; 70–110 cm long; 4 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades convolute; 20–42 cm long; 5–7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; erect; bilateral; 16–22 cm long; 15–20 mm wide. Rhachis flattened; villous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes 4–10 mm long.

Spikelets clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets sessile; 4–6(–11) in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 12–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 10–13 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume linear; 10–13 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with membranous margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels ciliate. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 5 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl China 2005.

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