Briza humilis

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect; 8–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 3–15 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 2–10 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending.

Spikelets appressed, or ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 1–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; obtuse; 4–5 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume orbicular; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.8–1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface puberulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume orbicular; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; lightly keeled; keeled below; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea oblong; 0.8–0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.