Triticum macha

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 60–100 cm long. Culm-internodes hollow. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–60 cm long; 10–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 10–12.5 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded. Rhachis internodes oblong; 3–5 mm long; falling with spikelet alongside.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 15–18 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 10–11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex with a unilateral tooth; truncate. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 10–11 mm long; coriaceous; 2-keeled; keeled all along. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins divergent at apex. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex with a unilateral tooth; truncate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 11–13 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; keeled above. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 40–65 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl USSR 1996.

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