Milium vernale M.Bieb.

First published in Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 1: 53 (1808)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. & E. Europe, Medit. to W. & Central Asia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; culms solitary. Culms erect; 20-45 cm long. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5-7 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4-7 cm long; 2-3 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense; 4-11 cm long; 2-6 cm wide; contracted about secondary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 4-7.5 cm long. Panicle branches bearing congested spikelets. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 1-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5-3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner above; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2.4-3 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; much thinner above; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2-2.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; indurate; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.
Reference
Aveneae. Fl Iraq.
[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