Rostraria berythea

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–18 cm long; 3–5 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong, or ovate; 3–7 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches retrorsely scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6–6.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; 4 mm long overall. Palea gaping; hyaline. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex awned; awns 1 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Iraq 1993.

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