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.

Avena byzantina

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–150 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–7 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–25 cm long.

Spikelets pendulous; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 27–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Floret callus evident; bearded; obtuse; fracturing irregularly; with elliptic scar. Floret callus hairs 3–5.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 25–30 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 28–33 mm long; 1.5–1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 15–20 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 1.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; straight, or curved; 25–33 mm long overall; without a column. Palea 12–15 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent all over.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side; hairy all over. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, east tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.

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