Bromus fasciculatus

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 4–25 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–10(–20) cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; obovate; 2–6 cm long; 0.7–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches bearing 1(–2) fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10–20 mm long; 5–12 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 6–8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–15 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; (3–)5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 0.5–1.5 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; curved; 10–18 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.4–0.5 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 7.5–13 mm long; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and China.

NOTES Bromeae. Acedo 1996.

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