Vulpia gypsophila

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 3–20 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; lacerate; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 1–4.5 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; oblong, or ovate; unilateral; 1–3 cm long. Rhachis scabrous on surface; glabrous on surface, or pubescent on surface.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong, or clavate; 0.5–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear, or oblong; 0.2–1.1 mm long; 0.05 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4–0.9 mm long; eventually exserted. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; sulcate on hilar side; 2.5–3 mm long; glabrous. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.33 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, southwestern, and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1993.

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