Bromus stenostachyus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–75 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or hispid. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade surface hispid; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 11–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 20–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6.5–9 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–10 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–12 mm long; chartaceous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2.5–3.5 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 4–5 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 Asia-temperate: western Asia and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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