Vulpia bromoides

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or decumbent; 5–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–18 cm long; 0.5–3 mm wide; firm, or flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or oblong; equilateral, or nodding; 1–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches angular; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 7–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear to lanceolate; 2–6 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; 5–10 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5–12 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 1; 0.3–0.6 mm long; retained within floret. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. North America: western Canada, northwest USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Poeae. FTEA.

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