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 tenuispicus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 35–75 cm long; 0.5–1 mm diam.; 4–5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths subequal to internodes, or longer than adjacent culm internode; hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 15–20 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; hirsute; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; straight, or arcuate; bilateral; 9.2–10.5 cm long. Rhachis flattened; glabrous on surface; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 13–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent. Floret callus pubescent. Floret callus hairs 0.6–0.8 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3–4 -veined. Lower glume surface hirsute. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7.5 mm long; coriaceous; with membranous margins; without keels; 4–5 -veined. Upper glume surface hirsute. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7.5–8 mm long; coriaceous; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 10–20 mm long overall. Palea 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above; with 0.5–0.75 of their length adorned. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 5.5 mm long; light brown; hairy at apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl China 2005.

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