Wheatgrass - Wheatgrass

A perennial plant of the grass family (APG classification: Poaceae). The culms grow in clumps and are 0.4-1 meter tall. From May to July, arching spikes of flowers are produced at the ends of the culms. The spikelets are stalkless and contain several florets, which are alternate at each node of the central axis of the inflorescence. The glumes and lemmas are almost the same length. The awns are not outwardly curved and can be up to 2-3 centimeters long. It is commonly found in wastelands and roadsides throughout Japan, and is distributed in Korea and China. The name comes from the fact that people used this plant to weave dolls into toys. In the closely related E. racemifer (Steud.) Tzvelev [A. ciriare (Trin.) Fr. var. minus (Miq.) Ohwi], the lemma is noticeably longer than the glumes, and the awns bend outward when dry.

[Jianchang Xu August 20, 2019]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イネ科（APG分類：イネ科）の多年草。稈(かん)は株立ちして斜上し、高さ0.4～1メートル。5～7月、稈の先に弓形に曲がる穂状花序をつける。小穂は柄がなく、数個の小花があり、花序の中軸の各節に互生する。護穎(ごえい)と内穎はほぼ同長。芒(のぎ)は外曲せず、長さが2～3センチメートルにもなる。日本全土の荒れ地や道端に普通にみられ、朝鮮、中国に分布する。名は、この植物を使って人形のかもじを編んで遊んだことによる。近縁のアオカモジグサE. racemifer (Steud.) Tzvelev〔A. ciriare (Trin.) Fr. var. minus (Miq.) Ohwi〕は内穎が護穎より明らかに長く、芒は乾くと外曲する。

［許　建　昌　2019年8月20日］

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