Poaceae
Koeleria

Koeleria pyramidata (Lam.) P.Beauv.

First published in Ess. Agrostogr.: 166 (1812)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe to Siberia and Nepal. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent. Culms erect; 70-90 cm long; 2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 7-24 cm long; 1.5-2.5 mm wide; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; 12-13.5 cm long; 3.5-5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2.5-4.5 cm long. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.7-7.5 mm long; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5-4 mm long; 0.66-0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5-5.3 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5-5.8 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; shiny; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex acute to setaceously attenuate. Palea gaping; 1 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2-2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: western Asia. North America: Mexico.
Reference
Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.
[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 2024. 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 2024. 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images