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.

Elymus versicolor

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 17–28 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 6–9 cm long. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade surface ribbed (9–15 ribs); grooved adaxially; scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially (on ribs).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; straight; bilateral; 8–12 cm long; bearing 5–8 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; glabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 14–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 10 mm long; 1.25 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume oblong; 8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 8–9 mm long; coriaceous; yellow and purple; bordered with last colour and tipped with last colour; 5 -veined. Lemma surface papillose; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy at base. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 9–15 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east.

NOTES Triticeae. Khokhriakov 2007.

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