Bromus inermis

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths glabrous to pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 30–100 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–35 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; dense; equilateral, or nodding; 10–15 cm long; 4–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–4 -nate; 1–10 cm long; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15–25 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 9–12 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green, or purple; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 5–10 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0–1.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 4–5.5 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 Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and south. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Bromeae. Acedo 1996.

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