Koeleria Pers.

Gramineae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Spikelets

Spikelets very shortly pedicelled, laterally compressed, (rarely 1) 2-many-flowered, muticous or awned; florets hermaphrodite or the uppermost one more or less reduced; rhachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets, produced or often terminated by a reduced lemma, pubescent or glabrous.

Glume

Glumes 2, unequal to subequal, persistent, subacute to acuminate or more rarely obtuse, with hyaline margins; the inferior 1-3-nerved; the superior 3-5-nerved.

Lemma

Lemmas almost always exceeding the glumes, 3-5 (rarely 7-)-nerved, the lateral nerves usually not very distinct, the middle nerve prominent and sometimes excurrent into a short mucro, both margins and apex hyaline; callus very short, glabrous or shortly pilose.

Palea

Paleas shorter than or almost as long as the corresponding lemmas, 2-keeled, hyaline, with the apex 2-dentate.

Lodicules

Lodicules 2, very small, hyaline.

Stamens

Stamens 3.

Pistil

Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, rather short; stigmas plumose, laterally exserted.

Fruits

Caryopsis linear-oblong to oblong in outline, laterally compressed, of soft consistency, tightly embraced by the lemma; hilum basal, very minute.

Habit

Perennials or annuals of varying habitats.

Ligules

Ligule a hyaline membrane.

Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle, usually more or less contracted, rarely lax and open, usually almost cylindrical, often interrupted in the lower part, glabrous or hairy.

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Habit

Perennial. Rhizomes absent (23/45), or short (17/45), or elongated (6/45). Culms erect (35/44), or geniculately ascending (11/44), or decumbent (1/44); slender (1/1); 4-36.92-100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking (11/11). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (45), or erect (1). Ligule an eciliate membrane (38), or a ciliolate membrane (8). Leaf-blades filiform (7), or linear (43); stiff (15), or firm (30), or flaccid (1). Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous (3/3).

Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf (2). Panicle open (1), or contracted (8), or spiciform (41), or capitate (1). Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile (1), or pedicelled (45). Pedicels linear (1/5), or oblong (4/5).

Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1), or 2 fertile florets (43), or 3 fertile florets (31), or 4 fertile florets (6); with a barren rhachilla extension (26), or with diminished florets at the apex (29). Spikelets lanceolate (2/45), or elliptic (2/45), or oblong (16/45), or obovate (20/45), or cuneate (12/45); laterally compressed; 2-5.25-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes glabrous (8), or sparsely hairy (1), or pubescent (35), or pilose (3). Floret callus glabrous (1/10), or sparsely hairy (4/10), or pubescent (6/10).

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1), or 2 fertile florets (43), or 3 fertile florets (31), or 4 fertile florets (6); with a barren rhachilla extension (26), or with diminished florets at the apex (29). Spikelets lanceolate (2/45), or elliptic (2/45), or oblong (16/45), or obovate (20/45), or cuneate (12/45); laterally compressed; 2-5.25-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes glabrous (8), or sparsely hairy (1), or pubescent (35), or pilose (3). Floret callus glabrous (1/10), or sparsely hairy (4/10), or pubescent (6/10).

Glume

Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (40), or reaching apex of florets (13); thinner than fertile lemma (1), or similar to fertile lemma in texture (45); parallel to lemmas (5), or gaping (41). Lower glume lanceolate (41), or elliptic (2), or oblong (5); 0.33-0.8391-1.1 length of upper glume; hyaline (1), or membranous (45); without keels (1), or 1-keeled (45); 1 -veined (37/42), or 2 -veined (2/42), or 3 -veined (7/42). Lower glume lateral veins absent (37), or distinct (11). Lower glume surface smooth (45), or asperulous (3); glabrous (44), or puberulous (2), or pubescent (5), or villous (1). Lower glume apex entire, or erose (1); obtuse (4), or acute (30), or acuminate (13), or attenuate (2); muticous (45), or mucronate (1). Upper glume lanceolate (21), or elliptic (5), or oblong (17), or ovate (3), or obovate (2); 0.66-0.955-1.25 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline (1), or membranous (45); with undifferentiated margins (32), or hyaline margins (14); without keels (1), or 1-keeled (45); 3 -veined (40/40), or 4-7 -veined (1/40). Upper glume primary vein eciliate (44), or ciliolate (1), or ciliate (1). Upper glume surface smooth (45), or asperulous (3); glabrous (44), or puberulous (2), or pubescent (5), or villous (1). Upper glume apex entire, or erose (1); obtuse (4), or acute (34), or acuminate (9), or attenuate (2); muticous (44), or mucronate (3), or awned (1); 1 -awned (1/1).

Florets

Fertile lemma lanceolate (6), or elliptic (10), or oblong (27), or ovate (2), or obovate (1), or oblanceolate (1); membranous (44), or chartaceous (2); of similar consistency on margins (32), or much thinner on margins (14); without keel (1), or keeled (45); 3 -veined (13/27), or 4 -veined (2/27), or 5 -veined (16/27). Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (40), or scaberulous (1), or scabrous (5). Lemma lateral veins obscure (5/6), or distinct (1/6); stopping well short of apex (3/3). Lemma surface smooth (37), or asperulous (4), or scaberulous (4), or scabrous (3); glabrous (34), or puberulous (8), or pubescent (4), or pilose (2), or villous (1). Lemma apex entire (44), or dentate (3); 2 -fid (3/3); emarginate (1/45), or obtuse (5/45), or acute (31/45), or acuminate (15/45), or attenuate (4/45), or setaceously attenuate (4/45); muticous (28), or mucronate (12), or awned (18); 0 -awned (1/18), or 1 -awned (18/18). Principal lemma awn apical (10/26), or subapical (16/26); straight (25/26), or curved (2/26). Palea embraced by lemma (4), or gaping (42); 0.5-0.9462-1 length of lemma; hyaline (1), or membranous (45). Palea keels smooth (35), or scaberulous (7), or scabrous (4); eciliate (44), or ciliolate (2). Palea apex dentate (3/3); muticous (45), or with excurrent keel veins (1). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (29/29).

Flowers

Lodicules 2 (39/39); membranous (37/37); 2-toothed (9/9). Anthers 3 (45/45). Ovary glabrous (33/33).

Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (28/28); fusiform (4/8), or ellipsoid (2/8), or oblong (1/8), or ovoid (1/8); laterally compressed (4/4). Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic (5/5); 0.2-0.225-0.25 length of caryopsis.

Distribution

Europe (20), or Africa (7), or Temperate Asia (17), or Tropical Asia (1), or Australasia (4), or Pacific (1), or North America (3), or South America (11), or Antarctica (1).