Common name: Tall Wheat Grass, Tall Wheat-grass
Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & D.R.Dewey APNI* Synonyms: Lophopyrum ponticum (Podp.) A.Löve APNI*
Thinopyrum elongatum (Host) D.R.Dewey APNI*
Agropyron elongatum (Host) P.Beauv. APNI*
Description: Tufted perennials to c. 1.5 m tall.
Ligule membranous, to 1 mm long, obtuse, rim usually ciliolate with hair <0.25 mm long; blade flat, rolled when dry, to 7 mm wide, smooth, glabrous, margin usually scabrous.
Inflorescence spicate, 13–35 cm long, to 2 cm wide, sometimes partly enclosed in uppermost sheath; rachis flattened, angles scabrous. Spikelets 11–30 mm long; florets 3–15, bisexual, uppermost floret often reduced. Glumes subequal, placed side by side, 7–12 mm long, truncate to acuminate, rigid, keel often scabrous, smooth, glabrous, ribbed. Lemmas 7–12 mm long, obtuse to acuminate, keel often scabrous, margin usually ciliolate with hair <0.25 mm long, smooth, glabrous; palea subequal to lemma, obtuse, 2-keeled, keel scabrous, glabrous.
Distribution and occurrence: Scattered on saline areas where sometimes sown as a pasture species.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP
Other Australian states: *S.A.
Some species have been used in wheat breeding programs. This species, formerly in Agropyron, was placed in Lophopyrum by Love (1984) but retained in Thinopyrum by Barkworth and Dewey (1985). This is becoming a serious weed in some areas; e.g. in Victoria.
Text by Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B.(2008); edited KL Wilson (June 2010)
Taxon concept: Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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