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 insignis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 90–180 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent; with reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1(–2) mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 27–37 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; pubescent; hairy adaxially, or on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; nodding; 18.5–30 cm long; 4–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–5 -nate; 11.5–20 cm long; bearing 5–8 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; 17–25 mm long; 4–6 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose; hairy in a ring above; disarticulating obliquely; with circular scar.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.7–0.85 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 8.5–9.5 mm long; 0.85–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 6–10 mm long overall. Palea 7–8.5 mm long; 0.75 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; 8.5–9 mm long; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia.

NOTES Bromeae. Veldkamp 1994.

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