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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 rubens

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–12 cm long; 3.5–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle contracted; obovate; 5–10 cm long; 2–5 cm wide. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 15–30 mm long; 2–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 5–9 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or hirsute. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–13.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or hispid. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma elliptic; 10–17 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; with lobes 2–3 mm long; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; straight; 7–23 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 8–11 mm long; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north and south. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: south-central and north-central. North America: western Canada, northwest USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Bromeae. Acedo 1996.

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