Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Molinia Schrank

Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench

This species is accepted, and its native range is Europe to Kazakhstan, Medit., Ethiopia.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15-120 cm long; swollen at the base; forming an elongated corm. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; 10-45 cm long; 3-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong; 5-40 cm long; 1-10 cm wide. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1-2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1-2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5-3 mm long; 0.6-1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 2.5-4 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; lanceolate in profile, or oblong in profile; 4-6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3-5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.5-3 mm long. Stigmas 2; purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; obovoid. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. North America: eastern Canada and northeast USA.
Reference
Arundineae. CEH.

Native to:

Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Ukraine, Yugoslavia

Introduced into:

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Québec, Rhode I., Vermont, Wisconsin

English
Purple Moor Grass

Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Graham, R. [s.n.], United Kingdom K000859981 Yes
Martin, P. [s.n.], United Kingdom K000859983 Yes
s.coll. [196], United Kingdom K000859985 Yes
Don, G.Sr. [s.n.], United Kingdom K000859984 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] K000859982 Yes

First published in Methodus: 183 (1794)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003). Flora of North America North of Mexico 25: 1-781. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Siberia 2: 1-362. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Mirek, Z., Pi?ko?-Mirkowa, H., Zaj?c, A. & Zaj?c, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.
  • Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1985). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 9: 1-724. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003). Flora of North America North of Mexico 25: 1-781. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Mouterde, P. (1966). Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie 1(Texte): 1-563. Éditions de l'imprimerie Catholique, Beyrouth.
  • Pavlov, N.V. (ed.) (1956). Flora Kazakhstana 1: 1-354. Alma-Ata, Izd-vo Akademii nauk Kazakhskoi SSR.
  • Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

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  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

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  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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