Bromus staintonii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70–125 cm long. Culm-internodes striate; smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with simple hairs, or reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 1.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; nodding; 10–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–4 -nate; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 15–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex acuminate, or setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8–10 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with membranous margins; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate, or setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma 10–11 mm long; 5–7 -veined. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; straight; 2.5–5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. Melderis 2001.

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