Secale segetale

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 10–20 cm long; 3–8 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

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

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 4–13 cm long; 10 mm wide. Rhachis tough (below), or fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; falling with spikelet above.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–15(–17) mm long; falling entire, or breaking up at maturity; deciduous when fragile with accessory branch structures; disarticulating when tough below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0–5 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–12 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein pectinately ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 20–70 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets 1 in number; barren.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ciliate. Anthers 3. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6.5–8 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iran 1993.

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