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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Bromus maroccanus
HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long; swollen at the base; forming an ovoid corm. Culm-internodes distally pilose; with reflexed hairs. Culm-nodes brown; bearded. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface, or pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 2–4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib widened. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; oblong; dense; 10–20 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 4–6 -nate; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis pubescent. Panicle branches pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 11–12 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 1–3 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 4.5–6 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 Africa: north.
NOTES Bromeae. Fl Afr N 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
