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 meyeri

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 40–85 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; hirsute; with reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.7 mm long; brown; glabrous on abaxial surface; erose. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 8–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 2–6 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 7–15 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.4–6.6 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 7.2–8 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9.7–9.8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 1 mm long overall. Palea elliptic; 6.6–7.2 mm long. Palea surface glabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.1 mm long; orange. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Bromeae. Sod. & Beaman 2001.

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