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 junghuhnii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40–160 cm long. Culm-internodes terete. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 8–35 cm long; 2–8.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; equilateral, or nodding; 10–30 cm long; 3–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 5–15 cm long; bearing 6–12 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3(–4) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5–9 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 6–12 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7.5–12.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; shiny; without keel; 7(–9) -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acuminate, or setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 10–18 mm long overall; with twisted column. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3.3–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India and Malesia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Pak 1993.

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