伊吾赖草 yi wu lai cao

Leymus yiwuensis N. R. Cui ex L. B. Cai, nom. illeg. superfl.

Culms erect or geniculate, 14–35 cm tall, usually 1-noded, smooth, glabrous. Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous or margin ciliate; ligule 0.5–1 mm, membranous; leaf blade involute, 4–9 cm × 0.1–2.5 mm, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface and margin scabrous. Spike erect, green, dense, (3–)5–11 × (0.35–) 0.5–1 cm; rachis pubescent, usually with white, long, soft hairs on nodes. Spikelets 2 per node, 0.7–1.1 cm, with 3–5(–8) florets; rachilla densely pubescent. Glumes usually covering base of first lemma, narrowly lanceolate, subequal, 5–9 mm, 1-veined, proximally pubescent, distally scabrous, apex narrowed, awnlike. Lemma lanceolate, distinctly 5-veined, abaxially with dense, white, soft hairs, margin ciliate; first lemma 7–9 mm including point 1–1.5 mm; callus with soft hairs 0.5–1 mm. Palea subequaling lemma, ciliate along keels distally. Anthers yellow, 2–3 mm. Ovary elliptic, apex puberulent. Fl. and fr. Jun–Aug.

* Meadows; ca. 2400 m. Xinjiang (Burqin, Yecheng, Yiwu).

Leymus yiwuensis was described as a new species by Cai (Bull. Bot. Res., Harbin 17: 29. 1997) based on the same holotype specimen (N. R. Cui 820064, XJA) as L. yiunensis.