Relatives
Agropyron pectinatum (Bieb.) Beauv. - Crested wheat grass.
Taxonomic position.
Family Poaceae Benth. genera Agropyron Gaertn.Synonym.
Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum (Bieb.) Tzvel.Morphology and biology.
Perennial grass. Stems 25-70 cm high, naked or under a spike; more or less pubescent. Leaves narrow, less often flat, 4,5.5 (7) mm in width; from above more or less haired, from below naked or bottom leaves are pubescent. Spikes appreciably narrow at top, 2-6 (8) cm in length, 10-25 mm in width, with appreciable space between spikelets. Spikelets 8-45 (17) mm in length, with 3-9 flowers, naked or haired; spikelet scales ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 mm in length, are narrowed in arista 2-4 mm of length, naked or ciliate; the bottom floral scales are lanceolate, 5-7 mm in length, with arista 3-4 mm in length, naked or haired. Blossoms in May-July.Distribution.
Southern and middle Europe, middle and southern strip of the European part of the former USSR; Caucasus; southern part of Western Siberia; Central Asia; Asia Minor; Iran.Ecology.
Found in forest-steppe zone; in steppes, from meadows to desert steppe. In meadow steppes, grows mainly on slopes of southern and southwestern exposure. In desert steppes, grows in association with crested wheat grass or acts as an edificator in sage-brush associations.Use and economic value.
Fodder, cultivated.Reference Citations:
Busik, V.V. 1979. Flora of the Central Siberia. Onocleaceae-Saxifragaceae. Malyshev L.I., Peshkova G.A., editors. Novosibirsk: Nauka. V.1: 431.Malyshev, L.I. & G.A. Peshkova, ed. 1990. Flora of Siberia. Poaceae (Gramineae). Novosibirsk: Nauka. Т.2: 361.
Buhteeva A.V., Malyshev L.L., Konarev A.V. 1990. Wild-growing populations of wheat grass from Eastern European steppe province. Bull. VIR. Leningrad. N.198: 54-59.
Grossgeim, A.A. 1939. Flora of Caucasus. Polypodiaceae-Gramineae. Baku: Publishing house AzFaN. V.2: 587.
Ivanov A.I., Buhteeva A.V. 1975. Cenotic areas of the major fodder plants of Kazakhstan. Proc. Appl. Bot, Gen and Breeding 54(3): 3-17.
Shelyak-Sosonko, Y.P., ed. 1977. Grasses of Ukraine. Kiev: Naukova Dumka. 518 pp.
Tzvelev N.N. 1976. Grasses of the USSR. Leningrad: Nauka. 788 pp.