Poaceae
Bromus

Bromus alopecuros Poir.

First published in Voy. Barbarie 2: 100 (1789)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & E. Medit. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10-80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 3-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear, or oblong; 6-20 cm long; 1-3 cm wide. Panicle branches stiff. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 24-45 mm long; 3-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 24-45 mm long; 3-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6-10 mm long; 0.75-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 11-20 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma trullate; 10-18 mm long; 3-5 mm wide; chartaceous; without keel; 7-9 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.66-0.75 way up back of lemma; spreading and briefly coiled at base of limb; flat below; 11-20 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5-1.2 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Europe: southeastern. Africa: north and south. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Australasia: Australia. North America: northeast USA.
Reference
Bromeae. Acedo 1996.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images