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 elongatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms robust; 35–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades convolute; 20–45 cm long; 2.5–5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 10–25 cm long. Rhachis flattened; smooth on margins, or scaberulous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 12–25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 7–9 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface smooth, or scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 7–9 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface smooth, or scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate to oblong; 9–11 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; elliptic; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5–5.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Australasia: Australia. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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