Descriptions
- Morphology General Habit
- Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-65 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 8-17 cm long; 1.5-4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence composed of racemes; not deciduous as a whole, or deciduous as a whole. Racemes 1; single; linear, or moniliform; bilateral; 5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 4-6 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis tough, or fragile at the nodes. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes oblong; when fragile falling with spikelet alongside. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1-2 in number. Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5-14 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
- Sterile
- Basal sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1-2 in number.
- Fertile
- Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5-14 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
- Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; gibbous; 4.2-11 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins thickened; ribbed. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex dentate; 3 -fid; mucronate; 3 -awned (mucros). Lower glume awn 17-95 mm long. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; 4.2-11 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 7-9 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins thickened; ribbed; parallel at apex. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex dentate; 3 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Upper glume awn 17-95 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
- Fertile lemma oblong; 4-11.3 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex dentate; 3 -fid; awned; (2-)3 -awned. Principal lemma awn 50-95 mm long overall. Palea 6-11.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.2-4.7 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 4.5-8 mm long; hairy at apex. Disseminule comprising a rhachis internode, or inflorescence.
- Distribution
- Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia.
- Reference
- Triticeae. Gr Extremad 1993.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172098/117270613
- Conservation
- LC - least concern
Sources
-
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
- Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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IUCN Categories
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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Kew Backbone Distributions
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
-
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0