Agropyron fragile

(Roth) P. Candargy
Common names: Siberian wheatgrass
Synonyms: Agropyron sibiricum Agropyron mongolicum Agropyron fragile var. sibiricum Agropyron cristatum subsp. fragile
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 279.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants not rhizomatous. Culms 30-100 cm, rarely geniculate. Ligules to 1 mm; blades 1.5-6 mm wide. Spikes (5) 8-15 cm long, 5-13 mm wide, linear to narrowly lanceolate; internodes 1.5-5 mm. Spikelets 7-16 mm, appressed or diverging up to 30 (35) ° from the rachises. Glumes 3-5 mm, glabrous or hairy, often awned, awns 1-3 mm; lemmas 5-9 mm, keels scabrous distally, apices unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros up to 0.5 mm; anthers 4-5 mm. 2n = (14), 28, (42).

Distribution

Colo., N.Mex., Utah, Mont., Wyo., Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Sask., Yukon, Nev., S.Dak.

Discussion

Agropyron fragile is native from the southern Volga basin through the Caucasus to Turkmenistan and Mongolia. It is more drought-tolerant than A. cristatum. Within the Flora region, A. fragile appears to be uncommon outside of experimental plantings. This may change as more cultivars become available.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number."+timesaslongastheinternodes" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Agropyron fragile"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
mucronate +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(Roth) P. Candargy +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
basal +  and apical +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
not evident +
cross +, linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
spikelike +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Siberian wheatgrass +
not branching +
geniculate +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
not woody +
Colo. +, N.Mex. +, Utah +, Mont. +, Wyo. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Nev. +  and S.Dak. +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
3 +  and 16 +
laterally compressed +  and terete +
subtending +
hairy +  and glabrous +
obovate +, ovate +, rectangular +, lanceolate +  and subulate +
unequal +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
uncinate +
solid +  and hollow +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
acute +  and awned +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
stiffly membranous +  and coriaceous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
fleshy +  and membranous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
slightly longer +
subequal +
dry +  and fleshy +
spikelike +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (?) +  and 15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (?) +
linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
subsessile +  and sessile +
bisexual +  and sterile +
terete +  and compressed +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
not papillate +
Agropyron sibiricum +, Agropyron mongolicum +, Agropyron fragile var. sibiricum +  and Agropyron cristatum subsp. fragile +
Agropyron fragile +
Agropyron +
species +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +