Poaceae
Apera

Apera spica-venti (L.) P.Beauv.

First published in Ess. Agrostogr.: 31 (1812)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Europe to Siberia, Medit. to NW. Iran. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20-100 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-12 mm long. Leaf-blades 7-25 cm long; 3-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 10-25 cm long; 3-15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at most nodes; profusely divided; 3-7 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-3 mm long; scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.2-2.5 mm long; 0.75-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5-3 mm long; 1.1-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.1-2.8 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; flexuous; 5-10 mm long overall. Palea 0.9-1 length of lemma; 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Endosperm liquid.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia. North America: north-central USA, northeast USA, and southeast USA.
Reference
Aveneae. FW 1995.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images