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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Lolium persicum

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 14–60 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 3.5–20 cm long; 1.5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 5–12 cm long; bearing 3–12 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis semiterete; 0.5–1.6 mm wide; scabrous on surface. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–22 mm long; 1.5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.7–2.9 mm long (0.66–1 length of lemma).

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–23 mm long; 0.66–1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8.2–11.7 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma apex erose; acute to attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 5–15 mm long overall. Palea 1.1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate, or obovate; 0.7–1.4 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–3.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 5.5–7 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Africa: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, and north-central USA.

NOTES Poeae. Terrell.

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