Koeleria macrantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths papery; pilose; persistent and investing base of culm; with soft dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10–60 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 5–20 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle spiciform; linear, or lanceolate; continuous, or interrupted; 1–10 cm long; 0.5–2 cm wide. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume oblong; 3–4 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4–5.5 mm long; 1–1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5–5.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; shiny; keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0–0.4(–0.7) mm long overall. Palea gaping. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; membranous; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 1.4–2.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis 2.5–3 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Aveneae. TAC.

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