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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bromus lepidus

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–90 cm long; 2–6 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

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

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 7–15 mm long; 2.5–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; parallel to lemmas. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma obovate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface asperulous; glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–7 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea 0.8–0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.8–2 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and central. Asia-temperate: China. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bromeae. Acedo 1996.

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