Bromus secalinus

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect; 20–120 cm long; 5–7 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 4–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 5–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–8 cm long; bearing 1–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous, or pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–30 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 12–25 mm long; 4–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; parallel to lemmas. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 4.6–6.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 5–8.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–10 mm long; 4–11 mm wide; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 7–9 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0–8 mm long overall; limb scabrous. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1–2 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: south-central and north-central. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast 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.