| BEN |
| BOTANICAL ELECTRONIC NEWS |
|---|
| ISSN 1188-603X |
| No. 198 July 17, 1998 | aceska@victoria.tc.ca Victoria, B.C. |
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The key does not include intergeneric hybrids. They can usually be detected by their intermediate morphology and sterility. In sterile plants the anthers are indehiscent, somewhat pointed; and tend to remain on the plant. Measurements of rachis internodes and spikelets should be made at mid-spike.
1. Spikelets 2-7 at all or most nodes of the inflorescence
2. Spikelets 3 at each node, each spikelet with only 1
floret, the florets of the lateral spikelets usually
sterile and reduced
................................................. Hordeum
2. Spikelets usually not 3 at each node but, if so, at least
the central spikelet with more than 1 floret
3. Plants annual; spikelets paired, with 2 florets each
but only the first floret fertile; glumes 5-80 mm long,
awn-like; lemmas awned, the awns 20-110 mm long, diver-
gent and often cernuous at maturity
......................................... Taeniatherum
3. Plants perennial; spikelets 2-7 per node, usually with
2 or more fertile florets; glumes various; lemmas awned
or unawned, if awned, the awn up to 80 mm long,
straight, ascending or divergent, but usually not
cernuous, at maturity
4. Glumes 4-18 mm long, subulate to narrowly lanceo-
late, 0-1- veined at midlength; anthers 2.5-10 mm
long
5. Ligules 0.2-0.3 mm long; plants cespitose; in-
florescence a spike with 2 or 3 spikelets per
node
................................ Psathyrostachys
5. Ligules 0.3-8 mm long; plants cespitose or
rhizomatous; inflorescence usually a spike with
1-7 spikelets per node, sometimes a panicle
......................................... Leymus
4. Glumes flat and with 3 or more veins at midlength
or, if subulate and 1-veined, shorter than 4 mm or
longer than 18 mm; anthers 1-9 mm long
6. Plants rhizomatous; anthers 3-9 mm long; leaf
blades prominently ribbed, the ribs closely
packed; plants of coastal or inland beaches,
sometimes cultivated
......................................... Leymus
6. Plants cespitose; anthers 1-3 mm long; plants of
many habitats but not on beaches
......................................... Elymus
1. Spikelets solitary at all, or almost all, nodes of the in-
florescence
7. Rachis internodes 0.2-5 mm long; spikelets usually more
than 3 times the length of the internodes, usually diverg-
ing
8. Plants annual; spikes 0.8-2 cm long
........................................... Eremopyrum
8. Plants perennial; spikes 1.5-15 cm long
............................................ Agropyron
7. Rachis internodes 3-25 mm long; spikelets 1-3 times the
length of the internodes, often appressed or ascending
9. Glumes with 2 prominent keels, each bearing tufts of
hair; not established
............................................ Dasypyrum
9. Glumes usually unkeeled or with 1 keel, never both 2-
keeled and with tufts of hair on the keel
10. Glumes subulate to narrowly lanceolate, stiff, 0-1-
veined at midlength, shorter than the spikelets but
at least one glume more than 5 mm long
11. Lemmas with a conspicuously scabrous awn, the
awns 7-50 mm long, straight
....................................... Secale
11. Lemmas unawned or with a scabridulous awn up to
7 mm long
12. Glumes lanceolate, tapering to an acuminate
tip from near midlength or below, slightly
curved to one side apically; plants
rhizomatous
............................... Pascopyrum
12. Glumes subulate from near the base,
straight; plants cespitose or rhizomatous
................................... Leymus
10. Glumes usually ovate, rectangular, or lanceolate,
if subulate, both glumes less than 5 mm or more
than 18 mm long
13. Glumes flexible, acute to awned or subulate
throughout
14. Spikelets distant, scarcely reaching the
base of the spikelet immediately above;
anthers 4-8 mm long; plants cespitose or
shortly rhizomatous
.......................... Pseudoroegneria
14. Spikelets more closely spaced, usually
reaching at least midlength of the spikelet
immediately above; anthers 0.5-7 mm long;
plants cespitose or rhizomatous
................................... Elymus
13. Glumes usually stiff, truncate or obtuse,
sometimes awned or with short, thick, lateral
teeth
15. Plants perennial; glumes sometimes
mucronate but never awned or with lateral
teeth
............................... Thinopyrum
15. Plants annual; glumes often with lateral
veins or awns, the midvein smooth
throughout
16. Glumes rounded
............................. Aegilops
16. Glumes keeled
............................. Triticum
Thanks to the computer expertise of Dr. Alan Thomson, and co-op student Jonathan Bahl, (and about five years of data entry by various people) our herbarium databases are now accessible on our web page:
Included here are two databases of interest:
The BC Host-Fungus Index was compiled from 60 years of Canadian Forest Service records, augmented from published literature records and data generously provided by Agriculture/Agrifood Canada. The Host-Fungus Index has been designed to assist in the identification and formal documentation of fungi occurring on native plants in the province of British Columbia, with the exception of most agricultural crops and horticultural ornamental (non-native) plant species. The Index contains records of 3481 fungus species on 1710 different plant hosts. Over 4690 of these records are verified by herbarium specimens curated at the Pacific Forestry Centre.
The Herbarium Voucher Specimen database documents records of over 20,000 specimens housed in DAVFP, the Forest Pathology Herbarium at the Pacific Forestry Centre.
The Forest Pathology Herbarium at the Canadian Forest Service's Pacific Forestry Centre is an internationally recognized collection of over 35,300 preserved and catalogued forest fungi and disease specimens, representing over 3,000 different fungal species. Its abbreviation in the Index Herbariorum, a catalogue of the world's herbaria, is DAVFP (Department of Agriculture, Victoria, Forest Pathology). DAVFP, as illustrated by its very name, has existed through a number of departmental changes, growing, but maintaining its continuity over 50 years. The majority of DAVFP collections were made by rangers and research scientists affiliated with the now defunct Canadian Forest Service Forest Insect and Disease Survey over 40 years of regular monitoring for forest pests throughout the Pacific and Yukon Region. The Pacific Forestry Centre still maintains a strong commitment to maintain and expand the current collections, with greater emphasis on fungal biodiversity research.
See also NYBG Scientific Publications Department Catalogue: http://www.nybg.org/bsci/spub/catl/CATAL2.html#NAF
This is a beautiful book of line drawings of about 4,400 vascular plant species growing in the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. This book accentuates the artistic beauty of perfect botanical illustrations and for people not interested in botany this is a great collection of botanical art. For botanists, this is the most useful aid in identification of plants of northeastern United States, a powerful companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. This is a great book and the MUST for everybody who is interested in North American plants or in the art of botanical illustration.
Drawings in this book were selected from the original drawings for the "New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora" to which more than 300 species illustrations were added. Each species is illustrated with a general view (habit, flowering or fruiting twig, etc.) and drawings of important details are attached whenever they can help with the identification.
The price of this book is high, but it is fair when you consider the high quality of the paper and the print. The book makes a perfect gift, and even if you cannot find a donor, you can give it to yourself. My only complaint is with the title of the book. It is too dry for this apotheosis of the beauty of plants.
If anyone ever wants to pursue further the hybridization between Alnus rubra and A. tenuifolia, the Skeena River valley between Terrace and Hazelton should be investigated. Alder hybrids appear to be common, much as the classic swarm of Picea. It would make a good M.Sc. topic.
My favourite Czech poet, Miroslav Holub, died July 14, 1998, at the age of 75. He was a poet and essayist and in his civil life he was a scientist - immunologist. His literary work was translated into many languages (39, I read somewhere) and you can find him on shelves of larger libraries. Some of his poems and essays are on various web sites (in English). You may enjoy browsing through his works. Do avoid his "Immunology of nude mouse" unless you are indeed interested in immunology.
With a well-aimed blow
he killed the circle, the tangent,
and the point of intersection
in infinity.
Under the penalty
of quartering
he outlawed all numbers
higher than three.
And now in Syracuse
he commands a school of philosophers,
through two millenniums
he sits astride a halberd
and writes:
one two
one two
one two
one two