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 pseudolaevipes

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–120 cm long; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 8–25 cm long; 3–7.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins glabrous, or ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 9–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 2 -nate. Panicle axis puberulous. Panicle branches glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–35 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–8 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 10–12 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–5 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3.5–5 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 6–9 mm long; yellow; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA and Mexico.

NOTES Bromeae. Wagnon 1997.

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