Vulpia C. C. Gmelin

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1980, Flora Europaea. Volume 5. Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 154-155

6. Vulpia C. C. Gmelin 1

Annuals or rarely caespitose perennials; branches all intravaginal. Leaves flat, convolute when dry. Inflorescence a panicle or rarely a raceme, usually more or less secund. Spikelets with 3-12 florets, sometimes with a distal group of sterile florets, disarticulating variously below each fertile floret and at the base of the pedicel. Glumes very unequal; lower often minute, veinless or 1-veined; upper 1- to 3-veined, acute to acuminate, awned or not. Lemma (3-)5-veined, rounded dorsally, gradually tapered into a long, straight awn, chartaceous, with hyaline margins. Palea about equalling lemma, 2-veined, 2-fid. Anthers 1-3. Grain narrowly ellipsoid, adherent to palea; hilum linear, at least I as long as grain.

In this account measurements of the lemmas refer to those of the two basal florets in any spikelet, unless otherwise stated, and measurements of the glumes are taken from spikelets which are not apical on the inflorescence or its branches.

4 intergeneric hybrids (x Festulpia Melderis ex Stace & R. Cotton ) occur between 5, 8 and 10 and Festuca rubra L. and F. juncifolia St-Amans in mainly maritime areas of England and Wales. They are sterile perennials.

Literature: R. Cotton & C. A. Stace, Genetica 46: 235-255 (1976); Bot. Not. 130: 173-187 (1977).

1 Florets chasmogamous; anthers usually 3, 2-5 mm 2 Perennial; lower glume as long as upper 1. sicula 2 Annual 3 Lower glume at least | as long as upper 2. geniculata 3 Lower glume less than | as long as upper 4 Spikelets at least 10 mm (excluding awns); ovary glabrous

4. alopecuros 4 Spikelets not more than 10mm (excluding awns); ovary pubescent at apex 3. ligustica 1 Florets cleistogamous or the anthers just protruding at anthesis; anthers 1-3, 0-4-2 mm 5 Lemma with pointed callus 6 Lemma 4-8 mm (excluding awn); callus 1-1-5 mm,

antrosely hispid 7. fontquerana 6 Lemma 7-18 mm (excluding awn); callus less than 1 mm,

minutely scabrid

7 Ovary pubescent at apex; anthers 0-8-2 mm 5. fasciculate 7 Ovary glabrous; anthers 0-6-0-9 mm 6. membranacea 5 Lemma with rounded callus 8 Anthers 3, 0-7-l *3(- l-9) mm, exserted at anthesis; lemma

3-5 mm 12. unilateralis 8 Anthers 1-3, O-3-O-8 mm, usually included at anthesis;

lemma 4-7- 8 mm 9 Spikelets with 1-3 fertile florets and 3-7 distal sterile florets;

lemma of fertile florets 3(-5)-veined 11. ciliata 9 Spikelets with 2-5 fertile florets and 1-2 distal sterile

florets; lemma 5-veined 10 Lemma 1 -3-1-9 mm wide; lower glume 2-5-5 mm,

as long as upper 8. bromoides 10 Lemma 0-8—1- 3 mm wide; lower glume 0-5-3 mm, usually

less than | as long as upper

11 Inflorescence usually not fully exserted from upper­

most leaf-sheath; lower glume as long as upper

10. myuros

11 Inflorescence usually well exserted from uppermost

leaf-sheath; lowerglume as long as upper

9. muralis