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PSATHYROSTACHYS Nevski. Wildrye
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose or rhizomatous, perennial. Culm erect or ascending, glabrous or scabrous; internodes hollow,
terete. Leaves basal and cauline, not distinctly distichous; sheaths terete, margins connate or open; auricles
present; ligules membranous; blades folded or involute, linear, lax. Spikes (erect) bilateral, rachis
disarticulating, pedicels absent. Spikelets paired at inflorescence nodes, ascending, laterally compressed,
disarticulation below glumes at rachis nodes, awned, sessile; florets 2-3, reduced floret at apex, callus
hairy; rachilla not extended beyond upper floret; glumes 2, 1-veined, displaced (adjacent relative to floret position),
equal, subulate, awned; lemmas 5-7-veined, chartaceous, scabrous to hirsute; apex entire, acuminate, mucronate
or awned; awn straight; paleas 2-veined, awnless, glabrous. Stamens 3; anthers yellow. Caryopses adnate to lemma and/or
palea. Base chromosome number x=7.
A small Asian and southeast Europe genus of about eight species. The taxa occur in xeric, open habitats of
grasslands or semi-desert regions. The Texas species is used to revegetate abused land.
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