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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust; 30–75 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 4–10 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; moniliform; smoothly terete; bilateral; 10–15 cm long; bearing 7–10 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; falling with spikelet alongside.
Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent, or rudimentary; 0–2 in number.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8–15 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; asymmetrical; 7–10 mm long; 1 times length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7–10 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed; parallel at apex. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex dentate; 2–3 -fid; truncate; awned, or awned only on distal spikelets; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn terminal (on adaxial lobe); 10–25 mm long. Upper glume ovate; asymmetrical; 7–10 mm long; 0.9 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7–10 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins unequally thickened; ribbed. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex dentate; 2–3 -fid; truncate; awned, or awned only on distal spikelets; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn terminal (on adaxial lobe); 10–25 mm long.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–11 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; with outer lobes shorter; truncate; awned; 1 -awned, or 2 -awned. Principal lemma awn flat below; 50–80 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary with a fleshy appendage below style insertion; pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia.
NOTES Triticeae. TAC 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Us.
Version: 5th June 2007.