Leymus triticoides

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes elongated; scaly. Culms erect; 40–120 cm long. Culm-internodes glaucous; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 3–6 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–20 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes collateral; persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets. Lower glume subulate; 5–15 mm long; coriaceous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume subulate; 5–15 mm long; coriaceous; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Triticeae. Gr Tex 1993.

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