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Descriptions

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

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

Vulpia ciliata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 5–30 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Leaf-sheaths without keel; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–10 cm long; 0.5–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle contracted; linear; secund; straight; 3–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches angular; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.2–1 mm long; 0.1–0.3 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5–10 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 1; 0.3–0.4 mm long; retained within floret. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; glabrous. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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