Aegilops triuncialis L.

Seedling

Single cotyledon of large size, 20 to 50 times longer than wide, more or less hairy, with briefly acute tip. Ligule short, 0.5 mm, membranous, toothed, embracing auricles, short, ciliated. Sheath glabrous, circular in cross-section, veined, with overlapping but not fused lateral margins. Seedling with rolled prefoliation, of a more or less grayish green.

Adult plant

Aegilops triuncialis is an annual grass species with an upright habit that can reach 50 cm high, hairy. Culms kneeling-ascending or often erect. Leaves alternate, first rolled by the edges then flat, soft. The blade is 2-7 cm long and 1-3 mm wide, acute at the apex, a little rough, pubescent on the upper side with erect hairs 2 mm long, giving a more or less grayish appearance to the plant, the lower side identical to the upper side with sometimes shorter hairs; at the ligule there are two embracing, ciliated, dull opaque-white auricles, but with a short free part. Ligule short, 0.5 mm, translucent membranous, distinctly truncate, toothed and sometimes ciliate, extending along lateral margins of sheath. Sheath glabrous, circular in cross-section, with visible veins, lateral margins overlapping but not fused. Inflorescence a flattened spike 3 to 6 cm long, formed of 3 to 6 spikelets arranged alternately in a plane along the flattened rachis; spikelets perfectly sessile, inserted in excavations of the axis, gradually decreasing in size from the base of the spike to the apex. Spikelet 7 to 10 mm long, with 4 fertile florets. Lower and upper glumes similar, 7 to 10 mm long, shorter than spikelet, with trifid apex ending in 3 long ridges 10 to 60 mm long. The ridges of the terminal spikelet much longer than the ridges of the basal fertile spikelet. Lemma of fertile florets oblong, not keeled, 7 to 10 mm long, coriaceous with 5 veins, bifid at apex and aristate only for distal florets. Palea of fertile florets 2-veined, keeled. The fruit is a free caryopsis with hairy top.

Origin

Aegilops triuncialis is a species native to the Mediterranean-Western Iranian-Turanian region.

Algeria: Common species in the western Tell, rarer in the eastern Tell.

Worldwide distribution

This species was introduced in the USA (California, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania).

https://www.gbif.org/species/5289793