New! - Search other data sources for Vulpia brevis

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Vulpia brevis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–30 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 3–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; secund; 2–6 cm long; 0.8–1.5 cm wide. Panicle axis bearing deciduous spikelet clusters. Panicle branches angular; pubescent.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels fused to each other; united below; cuneate; 2–3 mm long; pubescent; hairy below.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; falling entire; deciduous in a cluster with fused pedicels; pedicel base acute.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 3–5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 7–8 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 9–11 mm long overall. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets 4–8 in number; barren; in a clump; lanceolate; 0–2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 5–10 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 2–3; 1 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; dorsally compressed; 5 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

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