New! - Search other data sources for Bromus variegatus

Help - Wrong Description?

Kew Data Sources

Kew's Herbarium Catalogue
ePIC - Electronic Plant Information Centre

External Data Sources

Note - this takes you off of our website
Use your browser's back button to return to this page

GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Bromus variegatus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths glabrous to pilose; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5–15 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate, or globose; dense; 4–9 cm long; 1–5 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 12–20 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–9 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–11 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–12 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green and purple; tipped with last colour; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2–9 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3–4 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: Caucasus, western Asia, and China.

NOTES Bromeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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