Bromus sclerophyllus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with reticulate dead sheaths. Culms erect; slender; 25–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 2–3.5 cm long; 1.5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; 3–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; 2–3 -nate; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 14–25 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; ascending, or spreading; 4–6 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–2.75 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, and China.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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