Flora-Fauna

Pseudoroegneria libanotica (Hack.) D.R.Dewey

≡ Agropyron libanoticum Hack. (Monogr. Agrost. 1: 236, 1887)
≡ Elytrigia libanotica (Hack.) Meld.
≡ Elymus libanoticus (Hack.) Melderis (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 76: 337, 1978)
(First published under the current name in Gene Manipulat. in Pl. Improv.: 272, 1984; treated in Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, p. 139; 1966)

• Life-form & habit: Perennial grass with a creeping rhizome. Culms densely tufted, slender, 30–100 cm tall; nodes narrow, reddish-brown.

• Leaves: Sheaths striate, very finely pubescent; throats with falcate auricles. Ligule almost absent, reduced to a short brownish rim. Blades flat then convolute, linear, finely pubescent at the base, becoming glabrescent on upper leaves.

• Inflorescence & spikelets: Spikes shortly pedunculate, with 5–15 spikelets exceeding the internodes except sometimes at the base. Spikelets 4–7(–8)-flowered, somewhat spreading at anthesis. Glumes subequal, 6–9 mm, 5-nerved, with fairly broad scarious margins, lanceolate, somewhat acute at apex. Lemmas 6–8 mm, with little prominent nerves, subacute, slightly scarious at the tip. Palea subequal, shortly ciliate along keels.

• Phenology: May–July.

• Habitat & elevation: High mountain pastures.

• Lebanese distribution: Jabal Barouk, ‘Aqoura, Dahr-el-Baidar, east of Ehmej, Cedars of Bcharreh, Cèdres–Beqa‘a Kafra, Jabal Sannine, Rijal-el-‘Achara, Makmel, Qornet es-Saouda, Ouadi Fou‘ara, Mchaitiyé–‘Aïnata.

• Syrian distribution: Anti-Lebanon, road to Yanta.

• Native range: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon–Syria, Turkey (POWO).