Bromus danthoniae

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 2–10 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–40 mm long; 4–10 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 7–9 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 7–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets all alike, or with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma muticous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–12 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 9–11 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent, or pilose, or villous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 3 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66–0.75 way up back of lemma; curved; spreading; 5–15 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising dorsally; shorter than principal. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5 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 Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Iran.

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