Poaceae
Milium

Milium effusum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 61 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Northern Hemisphere. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 45-180 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-10 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 5-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear, or oblong, or ovate; effuse; 10-40 cm long; 7-13 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2-5 -nate. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3-4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3-4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma; indurate; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed. Embryo 0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, and southeast USA.
Reference
Aveneae. CEH.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Common Names

English
Wood Millet

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images