New! - Search other data sources for Aegilops comosa

Kew 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, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

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

Aegilops comosa

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or decumbent; 15–40 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 1–6 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole.

Racemes 1; single; linear; smoothly terete; bilateral; 3–7 cm long. Rhachis semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 9–11 mm long; 1 times length of fertile spikelet.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 2(–3) in number.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 8–11 mm long; 1 times length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex with a unilateral tooth, or dentate; 2 -fid; awned only on distal spikelets. Lower glume awn 3–12 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 8–11 mm long; 0.9 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins parallel at apex. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex with a unilateral tooth, or dentate; 2 -fid; awned only on distal spikelets. Upper glume awn 3–12 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 9–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2–3 -fid. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; ciliate. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; hairy at apex.

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

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iraq.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Us.

Version: 5th June 2007.