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.

Eremopyrum triticeum

HABIT Annual. Culms 15–30 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–4 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; oblong; bilateral; 0.9–1.7 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded. Rhachis internodes oblong.

Spikelets pectinate; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating between fertile florets but the lowest falling with glumes attached.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; gibbous; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface grooved on either side of midvein. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume lanceolate; gibbous; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; keeled all along; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein grooved on either side. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Fertile florets with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma hairy (pubescent below). Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Australasia: Australia. North America: western Canada and northwest USA.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Iran.

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