Poaceae

M. ciliata L., Sp. Pl. 66 (1753).
Tufted or shortly rhizomatous perennial. Stems slender, 20-100 cm, uppermost internode usually much longer than the rest. Leaves glabrous or hairy; blades 1-4 mm broad, linear, flat or convolute; ligule 2-4 mm, lacerate. Panicle cylindrical or sometimes lobed, dense or interrupted, 4-20 cm. Spikelets 4-8 mm, with 1 fertile floret; lower glume ovate, acute, 3/4-4/5 x as long as ovate-oblong, acute to acuminate upper glume. Lemma of fertile floret lanceolate, acute, 7-9-veined, only lateral veins long-ciliate, dorsal surface punctate-scabrid. Fl. 6-7.
1. Panicle dense, cylindrical, not secund; spikelets always silvery (N.W. Turkey) subsp. transsilvanica
1. Panicle dense to lax or interrupted, usually ± secund; spikelets silvery, yellowish, greenish or purplish-tinged
2. Panicle laterally lobed or often interrupted, 12-20 x 2-4 cm; spikelets 7-8 mm, silvery or ivory; stems 50-100 cm, 2-2.5 mm broad near middle; sheaths and blades glabrous (W. Turkey, Islands) subsp. magnolii
2. Panicle slender and columnar, continuous, 4-10(-12) x 0.4-1.2 cm; spikelets 4-6.5 mm, silvery, pale yellowish, greenish or purplish; stems 25-60cm, 1-1.5 mm broad near middle; sheaths glabrous, pubescent or deflexed-pilose (widespread) - subsp. ciliata
subsp. ciliata, Syn: M. nebrodensis Parl. in Giorn. Bot. Ital. 2(1): 198 (1844); M. micrantha Boiss. & Hohen. in Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(13):53 (1854)! M. ciliata L. var. nebrodensis (Parl.) Cosson in Cosson & Durand, Fl. Alg. 132(1855); M. balansae Boiss., Diagn. ser. 2(4):132 (1859)! M. ciliata L. var. tomentella Boiss., Fl. Or. 5:580(1884)! M. flavescens Simonkai,Enum. 577(1886). Map 100. Fl. 6-8. Pinus nigra forest, rocky slopes, gorges, steppe, fallow fields, dry river beds, on limestone, serpentine, gypsum, lava, etc., 400-2800 m.
Described from Europe (Hb. Linn. 86/1).
Widespread except in Mesopotamia & S.E. Anatolia. A2(E) Istanbul: Koc-ataş to Paradis, 23 vi 1895, Azn.! A2(A) Bilecik: Bilecik to Pazaryeri, 400 m, D. 36439 (var. tomentella)! A4 Ankara: 20 km S. of Kizilcahamam, 1000 m, Ehrend. 62-1/81-15 (var. tomentella)! A5 Tokat: Zile, Zizila Köy, 1000 m, Ilarslan 3000! A7 Gümüşane: Stavri, 2285 m, Balls 527! A8 Çoruh: Sarigöl to Yusufeli, 1300 m, Kit-Tan 1043! A9 Kars: Selim to Sarikamiş, 1900 m, D. 30683! Bl Izmir: Mesogis (Aydin Da.) above Tire, 1906:10149! B2 Manisa: Kula, 700 m, Coode & Jones 2814! B3 Konya: Sultan Da., Akşehir to Gelen-dost, 1500-1600 m, Ehrend. et al. 787-20-13! B4 Ankara: 25 km E. of Ankara towards Erzurum, 980 m, Kukkonen 8210! B5 Kayseri: summit of Ali Da., 7 km S.E. of Kayseri, Bal. 1856:839 (syntype of M. balansae)! B6 Yozgat: Çayırlar, Çuluş, 1500-1600 m, Ekim 4801 (var. tomentella)! B7 Tunceli: Munzur Da. above Ovacik, 2800 m, D. 31262! B8 Erzurum: Palandöken Da., Büyük Ejder Da., 2300 m, Holtz 00.831 et al. (as subsp. micrantha (Boiss.) Hempel)! B9 Bitlis: Nemrut Da., Peşmen! C1 Aydin: Miletus, Townsend 66/50! C2 Muğla: Çal Da., summit 35 km N.W. of Muğla, Lambert & Thorp 587a! C3 Isparta: nr Eğridir G., Uslu 75! C4 Konya: d. Ermenek, Yellibel, 800 m, Vural 1021! C5 Içel: foothills of Bolkar Da. nr Dümbelek pass 2000 m, Peat et al. 238-13-76! C6 Hatay: Amanus, G. Post 137! Is: Lesvos, mt. Olympos nr Ajassos, 940 m, Rech. 5653! Samos, Rech. 2141 ;Kos, ruins of Asclepeion, Rech. 7032! Simi, Rech. obs.; Rodhos, Rech. 7137.
W. Europe & Mediterranean eastwards to C. Asia. Very variable. Similar indumentum, spikelet size and colour forms occur sporadically throughout much of the range of subsp. ciliata. In Turkey, however, M. ciliata var. tomentella (with pubescent sheaths) is mainly confined to C. Anatolia, where its range overlaps with the typical glabrous-leaved forms of subsp. ciliata. The status of var. tomentella needs assessing in the field. Does it form populations or is it sporadic?