Poaceae

S. arabica Trin. & Rupr., Sp. Gram. Stip. 77 (1842). Syn: S. szovitsiana Trin. ex Griseb. in Ledeb., Fl. Ross. 4:450 (1853) p.p.! S. damascena Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(13):45 (1854);S. barbata sensu Boiss., Fl. Or. 5:503 (1884) p.p. non Desf. (1798); S. koenigii Woronow in Not. Syst. (Leningrad) 5:61 (1926); S. meyeriana (Trin. & Rupr.) Grossh., Fl. Kavk. 1:66 (1928); S. prilipkoana Grossh. in Trudy Geobot. Obsl. Pastb. SSR Azerb. ser. A, 2:56 (1929). Ic: B. Fedtsch., Fl. As. Ross. 12: t. 9 (1912), as S. szovitsiana; Fl. Iraq 9: t. 150 (1968); Rech. fil., Fl. Iranica 70: t. 56 (1970), as S. barbata. Figure 25.
Tufted perennial. Stems erect, to 70 cm, ± pubescent, especially below nodes. Leaf sheaths shorter than internodes, glabrous or lower usually pubescent. Ligules elongate. Leaf blades rigid, filiform, scabrid to long silvery-hairy beneath, densely hairy above. Panicle narrow, few-flowered; branches erect, enveloped at base by uppermost leaf sheath. Spikelets 2.5-3.5 cm. Glumes subequal, linear-acuminate. Lemma 9-12 mm, with indistinct rows of hairs not reaching apex. Awn 7-20 cm, bi-geniculate, plumose; hairs of Bristle ' c. 2 mm, those in lower part of column mostly half as long or shorter. Fl. 5-6. Dry mountain slopes, 300-2500 m.
Type: [Egypt] in lapides ad radices montis Sinai, [15 v 1835], Schimper 107 (nolo. LE, iso. E! TUB!).
Mainly Inner Anatolia. A4 Çankiri: Çankiri, Çakmakli De., 800 m, Bornm. 1929:14696! A5 Çorum:_Sungurlu to Delice,750m,T.Baytop(ISTE 15460)! A6 Sivas: 5 km W. of Suşehri, 950 m, Sorger 69-32-10! A8 Çoruh: nr Artvin (Grossheim 1: map 127). A9 Kars: Iğdir to Tuzluca, 1080 m, M. Zohary & Plitm. 2266-22! B3 Eskişehir: Eskişehir to Çifteler, Birand & M. Zohary 3300! B4 Ankara; Ankara to Sivrihisar, 10-24 km from Polatli, 850 m, Dudley. (D. 36003)! B5 Kayseri: W. of Césarée (Kayseri), 1250 m, Bal.' 1856:837! B6 Sivas: 13 km S. of Sivas towards Şarkişla, 1510 m, Hub.-Mor. 12505! B7 Erzincan: 13 km W. of Erzincan, M. & D. Zohary 31797! B9 Ağri: Ağri to Horasan, 2000-2500 m, Rech. 32784! B10 Kars/Ağri: nr Ağri Da. (Grossheim 1: map 127). C3 Antalya: 6 km from Burdur to Antalya, A. Baytop (ISTE 9512)! C4 Konya: 7 km W. of Konya towards Beyşehir, 1120 m, Holtz 00.560 et al.(!). C5 Adana: nr Pozanti, A. Baytop (ISTE 7009)!
S.W. Asia (except, apparently, Cyprus and Arabia), C. Asia. Ir.-Tur. element. Very closely related to the W. Mediterranean S. barbata Desf. The view accepted here of the specific distinctness of both taxa follows Trinius' concept, but is not free from some doubts. The whole S, arabica complex shows a remarkable variation pattern, especially with respect to leaf and awn pubescence or length. Only a few variants have been named, mostly by Russian authors, and much work remains to be done before an elaborated infraspecific system is available for the more exact identification of the Turkish material.