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 epilis

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 60–75 cm long; 1.2–2 mm diam.; 3 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths 8–10 cm long; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; scarious; brown; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; nodding; 14–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 2–4 -nate; 3–6 cm long; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 14–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2–3 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 10–13 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 12–15 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 13–15 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or pubescent. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; curved; recurved at base of limb; 8–14 mm long overall. Palea 10 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Bromeae. Keng 2006.

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