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Descriptions

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

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

Aegilops columnaris

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 20–50 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–6 cm long; 2.5–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole.

Racemes 1; single; obovate; bilateral; 2–4 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–3 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis tough. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; 0.75 times length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 3 in number.

Apical sterile spikelets barren; 2 in number; 2–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 7–11 mm long; 1 times length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins thickened; ribbed. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex awned; 2–3 -awned. Lower glume awn 30–50 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 7–11 mm long; 0.9 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins thickened; ribbed; parallel at apex. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume awned; 2–3 -awned. Upper glume awn 30–50 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 8–12 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 2 -awned. Principal lemma awn 30–40 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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Version: 5th June 2007.