Interesting Facts
Description
Genus Psathyrostachys
Plants
perennial
, densely tufted
, or laxly tufted with underground rhizomes. Culms
usually erect
. Leaf blade
flat or rolled. Spike linear
, oblong
, or ovate
; rachis fragile, readily disarticulating
between spikelets
. Spikelets in groups of 2 or 3, sessile, compressed
, with 1 or 2(or 3) florets
, usually with rudimentary
florets. Glumes
subulate-setiform, awnlike, inconspicuously 1-veined, not keeled
, margin
entire. Lemma lanceolate, broadly rounded
abaxially, not keeled, 5-7-veined, apex acuminate to awned
. Palea equaling or slightly longer
than lemma, 2-keeled. Caryopsis tightly enclosed in lemma and palea at maturity, oblong, apex hairy
. x = 7.
Nine species: steppes
and semidesert regions from W Russia and Turkey eastward to Afghanistan and Siberia; cultivated in North America; five species (two endemic) in China.
All species of this genus are good fodder
plants.[1]
Taxonomy
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
)
- Plants
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Vascular Plants
- Class:
Spermatopsida
()
- Order:
Poales
()
- Genus:
Psathyrostachys
()
- Nevski, in Komarov, 1934
- Wildrye
- Specific epithet:
caduca
- (Boiss.) Melderis
- Botanical name: - Psathyrostachys caduca (Boiss.) Melderis
- Specific epithet:
caduca
- (Boiss.) Melderis
- Genus:
Psathyrostachys
(
- Order:
Poales
(
- Class:
Spermatopsida
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
Synonyms
Elymus caducus Boiss.
Similar Species
Members of the genus Psathyrostachys
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
More Info
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Further Reading
Notes
Contributors
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 5876746
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15771995
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:418801-1
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3641930
Footnotes
- "Psathyrostachys". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 386, 394. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
