Bromus pectinatus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 10–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–6 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 2–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; nodding; 5–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping. Panicle branches terete; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 13–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–11 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 8–13 mm long; herbaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; lightly keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or puberulous, or pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 9–17 mm long overall. Palea 0.8 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliate (0.5mm long hairs). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1 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, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. FTEA.

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