Vulpia unilateralis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or decumbent; 3–45 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; entire, or lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 1–5 cm long; 0.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 1–16 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.7–1.6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–3.5 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–12 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–1.3(–1.9) mm long; eventually exserted. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; sulcate on hilar side. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iraq.

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