Poaceae
Agropyron

Agropyron mongolicum Keng

First published in J. Washington Acad. Sci. 28: 305 (1938)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mongolia to N. China. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms geniculately ascending; 20-50 cm long; 1-1.2 mm diam.; 1-3 -noded; with 0.15-0.6 of their length below uppermost node. Leaf-sheaths tight; 3.5-8 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; involute; 2.5-8 cm long; 2-3 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above. Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 3.5-7 cm long; 5-7 mm wide. Rhachis with scattered hairs to puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-5 mm long. Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 8-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic to oblong; laterally compressed; 8-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4-5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-6 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6-7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Stigmas 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 4 mm long. Disseminule comprising a floret.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China.
Reference
Triticeae. Keng 1995.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0