Castella tuberculosa

Castellia is a monotypic genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. Its only species: Castellia tuberculosa (Moris) Bor, is native to the Mediterranean region to western Asia.

Description

It has stems up to 100 cm tall, erect, triquetrous, striated, glabrous, scabrous in the inflorescence. Leaves with a 1-2 mm ligule, truncated, more or less lacerated; blade up to 21 x 1 cm, markedly striated, with a more marked midrib, glabrous, with antrorso-scabrid margin. Racemes or spikes up to 31 cm long, with spiciform branches, the basal ones patent and long bare. Spikelets 7-12 mm, oblong, subseated. glumes glabrous; the lower one 3-3.8 (-4) mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute, three-veined; the upper one 4-5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute or subobtuse, with 5 nerves. Lemma 4.5-6 mm, oblong, obtuse. Palea approximately as long as the lemma. Blooms from April to June.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in grasslands in places with temporary waterlogging, sandy slopes, ditches, etc. It is a rare species. It is distributed throughout Southern Europe (S Spain, S Portugal, Sardinia and Greece), North Africa, S and SW Asia (Palestine, Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India) and Macaronesia (Canary Islands).

Taxonomy

Castellia tuberculosa was described by (Moris) Bor and published in Indian Forester 74: 90. 1948.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 7, with somatic chromosome numbers of 2n = 14.2 ploid.

Sinonimia

• Castellia tuberculata Tineo
• Catapodium tuberculosum Moris
• Festuca tuberculosa
• Nardurus tuberculosus (Moris) Hayek
• (Moris) Bonnier
• Festuca muricata Durieu ex Parl.
• Festuca tuberculata (Tineo) Benth.
• Lolium elegans Steud.
• Micropyrum tuberculosum (Moris) Pilg.