Poaceae
Koeleria

Koeleria vallesiana (Honck.) Gaudin

First published in Alpina 3: 47 (1808)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. & W. Central Europe to NW. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths scarious; not bulbous, or thickened and forming a bulb; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 10-40 cm long; 1-3 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3-0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 3-12 cm long; 1-3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous, or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above. Panicle spiciform; linear, or lanceolate; continuous, or interrupted; 2-5.5(-7.5) cm long; 0.6-1.2 cm wide. Panicle branches pubescent. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 4.5-6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 4.5-6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5-5.5 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4-6.3 mm long; 1-1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0-0.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 4-5.3(-5.7) mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; shiny; keeled; keeled above; 3 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea gaping. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; oblong; membranous; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; (1.7-)2-2.5(-2.7) mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, and southeastern. Africa: north.
Reference
Aveneae. TAC.
[GB]

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2023. 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 2023. 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