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Helictotrichon pubescens

(Downy Alpineoatgrass)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Downy Alpineoatgrass

Description

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Physical Description

Species Helictotrichon pubescens

Perennial , shortly rhizomatous . Culms solitary or few, erect , 30-120 cm tall, 3-4-noded. Leaf sheaths of lower leaves pubescent , upper and infrequently also lower glabrous , closed to above middle ; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, flat, 10-30 cm, 4-10 mm wide, usually pubescent on both surfaces, abaxial surface with thin midrib , margins only slightly thickened, apex subacute ; ligule lanceolate, 3-6 mm. Panicle lax , oblong in outline, 8-15 cm or more; branches 4-6 per node, up to 5 cm, fine, scaberulous. Spikelets 1.2-1.7 cm, pale green or variegated purple, florets 2-4; rachilla hairs 4-6 mm; glumes hyaline , lower glume 10-11 mm, 1-3-veined, upper glume 13-17 mm, 3-veined; lemmas firmly herbaceous, hyaline above awn insertion , lowest 9-11 mm, scabrid , apex irregularly 2-denticulate; awn 1.5-2 cm, geniculate , column twisted, terete ; palea subequal to lemma, keels close together, smooth , glabrous, hyaline between keels. Anthers 5-7 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. [source]

This is a widespread, polymorphic species, varying especially in the degree of hairiness of the leaves and the width of the blades. The Chinese population probably corresponds to a broad-leaved, rather sparsely hairy form found in neighboring parts of Russia and C Asia, Helictotrichon pubescens var. latifolium (Printz) Tzvelev. The typical variety has hairy leaves usually up to 5 mm wide. [source]

Helictotrichon pubescens is distinguished from all other species in the genus by its palea with close, smooth keels. Molecular studies place it close to the group of species including H. dahuricum (see the comment under that species). However, it differs morphologically from those species in several characters besides the palea, including unthickened leaf blade margins, an evenly bearded (vs. laterally bearded) callus, and a hilum as long as the caryopsis (vs. half as long). [source]

Habitat

Grassy mountain slopes , forest margins , among shrubs ; 1000-2600 m [1].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,500 meters (0 to 8,202 feet).[2]

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Avena pubescens Huds. • Avena pubescens Hudson • Avenastrum pubescens (Hudson) Opiz • Avenula pubescens (Huds.) Dumort. • Avenula pubescens (Hudson) Dumortier.

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Helictotrichon

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 7 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

H. dahuricum (Emperor Alpineoatgrass) · H. hookeri (Hooker's Alpine Oat Grass) · H. mortonianum (Alpine Oat) · H. pubescens (Downy Alpineoatgrass) · H. sempervirens (Blue Oat Grass) · H. sempervirens 'Saphirsprudel' (Sapphire Fountain Blue Oat Grass) · H. sempervirens 'Sapphire' (Blue Oat Grass)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. "Helictotrichon pubescens". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 317, 318. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Mean = 151.730 meters (497.802 feet), Standard Deviation = 183.980 based on 9,542 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012