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 magnus

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms 120–150 cm long; 2–3.5 mm diam.; 6–7 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths 10–13 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5 mm long; brown; entire, or trilobed. Leaf-blades 15–40 cm long; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; nodding; 18–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; 2 -nate; simple; 10–15 cm long; bearing 2–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; 2–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 18–22 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 7–10 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 11–13 mm long; chartaceous; without keel, or keeled; lightly keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on veins. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; straight, or curved; 5–8 mm long overall. Palea 8 mm long. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–3 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: China.

NOTES Bromeae. Keng 1996.

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