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 ruoqiangensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–70 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 1–2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; linear; bilateral; 4.5–14 cm long. Rhachis ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax. Rhachis internodes linear; 6–15 mm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 7–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear; 7–10 mm long; 0.7–0.85 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 9–12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels eciliate, or ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long; yellow, or purple.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Lu & Wu 1996.

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