Bromus ciliatus

HABIT Perennial. Culms 60–100 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths without keel; pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 10–20 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 25–30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 0.75–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 3–3.5 mm long overall. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. 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: Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico.

NOTES Bromeae. Gr Baja Cal 1994.

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