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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Elymus serpentini

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-nodes purple; glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; conduplicate, or involute; 6–12 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 4.5–6.5 cm long; bearing 6–14 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis flattened; smooth on margins. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 5–8 mm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 16–24 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 7–8 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 8–9 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–12 mm long; coriaceous; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5–4.5 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 4–5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Triticeae. Hubbard 1995.

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