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 mutabilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 8–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 6–15 cm long. Rhachis flattened; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 6–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.2–2 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 7–10 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.2–2 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–12 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough generally. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea 0.8–0.9 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Triticeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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