Ventenata macra

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; linear, or lanceolate; paucilateral; 4–10 cm long; 10 mm wide. Spikelet packing irregular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels cuneate; 1–3.5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating between fertile florets but the lowest falling with glumes attached. Floret callus evident.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous with pedicel attached; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 6–6.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma elliptic; 1.25 length of adjacent lemma; thinner than adjacent lemma; entire; muticous. Fertile lemma oblong; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex entire; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 8–10 mm long overall; with twisted column. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Endosperm liquid.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Iraq 1993.

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