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.

Helictotrichon devesae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 27–35 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5–16 cm long; 0.5–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins; 3 inner ridges; subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 15–25 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; elliptic; 7–12 cm long. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; 3–11 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 9.6–10.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.8–2.5 mm long; pilose; with 1–3 mm long hairs. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.5–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–6.7 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 9–9.8 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 10.5–13.5 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn puberulous. Apical sterile florets rudimentary.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; entire. Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Aveneae. Romero Zarco 2009.

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