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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 pendulus
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–150 cm long; 2–3 mm diam.; 2–6 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 5–53 cm long; 2–7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins ciliate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; drooping; bilateral; 23–32 cm long. Rhachis flattened; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax. Rhachis internodes 6–30 mm long.
Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2–3 in the cluster.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 11–15 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; 9–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume linear; 9–11 mm long; 1.2–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with membranous margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex attenuate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined; 2-keeled. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3.5 mm long; yellow, or purple. Ovary pubescent on apex.
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.
