Bromus tomentellus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with reticulate dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent and pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–8 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 6–12 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches glabrous, or pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 23–35 mm long; 5–7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 9–18 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 12–17 mm long; chartaceous; yellow, or mid-green; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous to pilose. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; straight, or curved; 11–15 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3–5 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 Europe: southeastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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