Poaceae
Lolium

Lolium canariense Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 340 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-67 cm long; 3-4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate; 0.5-2.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 5-21 cm long; 1.5-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above. Racemes 1; single; bilateral; 10-20 cm long; bearing 7-15 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis semiterete; 0.8-1.1 mm wide. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-24 mm long; 1-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8-4 mm long (0.25-0.33 length of lemma).
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-24 mm long; 1-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8-4 mm long (0.25-0.33 length of lemma).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; persistent; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Upper glume lanceolate; 3-28 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3-10 mm long; 0.7-1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 1-5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex erose; obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; flexuous; 2.5-15 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; 0.8-1.1 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.3-2.9 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 3.5-4.5 mm long. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Africa: Macaronesia.
Reference
Poeae. Terrell 1997.
[GB]

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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images