Bromus mango

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 40–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–35 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–40 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; lanceolate; equilateral, or nodding; 4–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 7–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–9 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–11 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–13 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 7–9 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0–1 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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