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.

Aegilops geniculata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–30 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole.

Racemes 1; single; obovate; bilateral; 1–2 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2(–3) fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis tough. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1–2 in number.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7–11 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 6–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins; pubescent. Lower glume apex truncate; awned; 3–4(–5) -awned. Lower glume awn 15–25 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 6–10 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed; parallel at apex. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins; pubescent. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 3–4(–8) -awned. Upper glume awn 15–25 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7–11 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 10–25 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. Disseminule comprising a inflorescence.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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