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 dolichatherus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–90 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; 4–5 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Leaf-sheaths 11–17 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode, or subequal to internodes; without keel, or keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; entire, or erose; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–20 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; densely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 10–17; single; erect; bilateral; 5–20 cm long. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed. Rhachis internodes 8–10 mm long (lowest -30).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; 13–19 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 6–8 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 7–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; puberulous; hairy below. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight; 26–32 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex emarginate, or obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3 mm long; hairy at apex; apex unappendaged. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Chen 2001.

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