Bromus carinatus

HABIT Perennial; short-lived. Culms 30–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.75 of their length closed; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate; 0.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or pilose on abaxial surface; erose. Leaf-blades 3–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous to pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 10–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches terete.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 15–45 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–9 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 11–15 mm long; herbaceous; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous to pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–15 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1–5 mm long; eventually exserted, or retained within floret. 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: northern and central. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Pac NW 1993.

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