Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Bromus L.

Bromus leptoclados Nees

This species is accepted, and its native range is Cameroon to Eritrea and S. Africa, Réunion, SW. Arabian Peninsula.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 50-200 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hispid. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2-5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 5-13 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; equilateral, or nodding; 15-30 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping. Panicle branches angular; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 13-30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 13-30 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3-6 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1-5 mm long. Upper glume lanceolate; 7-14 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 7-14 mm long; herbaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 3-5(-7) -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2-12 mm long overall. Palea keels ciliolate (0.2mm long hairs). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.5-3 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 8 mm long; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
Reference
Bromeae. FTEA.

[FTEA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms 50 cm. to 2 m. high, loosely tufted and geniculately ascending, often weak and partly scandent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, 10–30 cm. long and 5–13 mm. wide, often with falcate auricles; sheaths retrorsely hispid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicles oblong, 15–30 cm. long, loose and nodding or somewhat contracted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets loosely 5–10-flowered, narrowly oblong to wedge-shaped, 13–30 mm. long; glumes narrow, the lower 3–6 mm. long and 1-nerved, the upper 7–14 mm. long and 3-nerved, both with an awn-point up to 5 mm. long; lemmas narrowly elliptic, 7–14 mm. long, herbaceous with hyaline margins, 3–5(–7)-nerved, the intermediate nerves often faint, pubescent on the outer nerves and glabrous or appressedly pubescent between them, awned from below an obtuse hyaline tip 0.5 mm. long; awn 2–12 mm. long, straight; callus short, broadly rounded; palea finely ciliolate on the keels with hairs 0.2 mm. long; anthers 2.5–3 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 23/1–13, p. 69.
Habitat
Upland grassland and forest clearings, often in moist or shady sites; 2300–4300 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 K6 T2 T3 T4 T7 U1 U2 U3 throughout the African highlands

[FWTA]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
A handsome perennial up to 2 m. high
Ecology
On highlands.

[FZ]

Gramineae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Morphology General Habit
A loosely caespitose perennial, with a short rhizome, often stoloniferous.
Morphology Culms
Culms 30-100 cm. tall, 2-4-noded, erect or geniculately ascending from a decumbent base, terete, stout, usually pubescent to scattered pilose, rarely glabrous, finely asperulous, rarely smooth.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf-sheaths usually tight, tubular, bluntly keeled, striate, scattered pilose to (rarely) glabrous, the lowermost ones long persistent but not splitting into fibres.
Morphology Leaves Ligules
Ligule 2-5 mm. long, obtuse.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf-laminae 8-30 x .-1.25(1.75) cm., linear, tapering to a soft point, expanded, flaccid, dark-green to glaucous, scaberulous on both surfaces or sometimes smooth below, scabrous along the margins, scattered pilose or rarely glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle up to 28 cm. long, elliptic to broadly ovate in outline, open, lax, erect to slightly nodding; rhachis rather slender, angular, scabrous; branches filiform, very flexuous, angular, scaberulous, 2-3-nate, not divided in the lower 1/2-1/3; branchlets with 1-3-spikelets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 15-30 mm. long, loosely 5-12-flowered, linear-oblong in outline, moderately laterally compressed, light green, sometimes tinged with purple, glabrous or shortly pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes unequal, broadly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, membranous-scarious, with the apex acute to subacute; the inferior 5-11 mm. long, 1-nerved; the superior 7-14 mm. long, 3-nerved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Lemmas 5-14 mm. long (excluding the awn), lanceolate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, prominently 3-7-nerved, with the apex entire or very shortly 2-dentate; awn 4-8 mm. long, subterminal, fine, straight, scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Palea
Paleas 8-11 mm. long, with the keels rigidly ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers 2-3.75 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis c. 8 mm. long.

Native to:

Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Gulf of Guinea Is., Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Réunion, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe

Bromus leptoclados Nees appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jun 1, 1967 Glover, P.E. [1087], Kenya K000333870 No
Jun 1, 1967 Heady, H.F. [1286], Kenya K000333866 No
Jun 1, 1967 Hedberg, O. [1966], Kenya K000333862 No
Jun 1, 1967 Bogdan, A. [5408], Kenya K000333893 No
Jun 1, 1967 Greenway, P.J. [14925], Kenya K000333859 No
Jun 1, 1967 Barney, R.W. [1128], Kenya K000333899 No
Jun 1, 1967 Greenway, P.J. [8546], Kenya K000333860 No
Jun 1, 1967 Bogdan, A. [4121], Kenya K000333892 No
Jun 1, 1967 Evans, P.I.B. [1142], Kenya K000333863 No
Jun 1, 1967 Bogdan, A. [3055], Kenya K000333891 No
Jun 1, 1967 Bogdan, A. [5391], Kenya K000333890 No
Jun 1, 1967 Dummer, R.A. [1696], Kenya K000333869 No
Jun 1, 1967 Kerfoot, O. [1430], Kenya K000333865 No
Jun 1, 1967 Macdonald, J. [885], Kenya K000333867 No
Jun 1, 1967 Napper, D.M. [832], Kenya K000333864 No
Jun 1, 1967 Bogdan, A. [2646], Kenya K000333894 No
Jun 1, 1967 Turner, A. [1578], Kenya K000333868 No
Jun 1, 1965 Fries, C.E. [531], Kenya K000333880 No
Jun 1, 1965 Watt, L.W. [1120], Kenya K000333875 No
Jun 1, 1965 Greenway, P.J. [7869], Kenya K000333874 No
Jun 1, 1965 Macaulay, K.H. [19], Kenya K000333878 No
Jun 1, 1965 Hedberg, O. [4402], Kenya K000333872 No
Jun 1, 1965 Powell, E. [3], Kenya K000333886 No
Jun 1, 1965 Napier, P. [5814], Kenya K000333879 No
Jun 1, 1965 Fries, C.E. [817], Kenya K000333882 No
Jun 1, 1965 Watt, L.W. [1119], Kenya K000333887 No
Jun 1, 1965 Bogdan, A. [4254], Kenya K000333876 No
Jun 1, 1965 Fries, C.E. [2411], Kenya K000333881 No
Jun 1, 1965 Hitchcock, A.S. [25058], Kenya K000333885 No
Jun 1, 1965 Edwards, D.C. [2962], Kenya K000333873 No
Jun 1, 1965 Edwards, D.C. [64], Kenya K000333884 No
Jun 1, 1965 Edwards, D.C. [1807], Kenya K000333883 No
Jun 1, 1965 Watt, L.W. [1125], Kenya K000333888 No
Jun 1, 1965 Bogdan, A. [4127], Kenya K000333877 No
Jan 1, 1963 Morton, J.K. [774], Cameroon K000182113 No
Jan 1, 1961 Maitland, T.D. [1261B], Cameroon K000182112 No
Schulmann [2330] K000367355 Yes
Schimper [678], Ethiopia K000367360 Unknown type material Yes
Quartin-Dillon [176], Ethiopia K000367361 Yes
Verdcourt, B. [102], Kenya K000333903 No
Dalziel, J.M. [8352], Cameroon K000182108 No
Perdue, R.E. [9219], Kenya K000333896 No
Wesche, K. [1977], Kenya K000333889 No
Breteler, F.J. [MC 115], Cameroon K000182106 No
Coll. Nat. d'Agric. de Dschang [1828], Cameroon K000182114 No
Hedberg, O. [223], Kenya K000333861 No
Mwangangi, O.M. [351], Kenya K000333897 No
Mabberley, D.J. [225], Kenya K000333898 No
Grant, D.K.S. [1236], Kenya K000333871 No

First published in Fl. Afr. Austral. Ill.: 453 (1841)

Accepted by

  • Bosser, J. & Renvoize, S.A. (2018). Flore des Mascareignes 203: 1-276. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
  • Clayton, W.D. (1970). Gramineae Flora of Tropical East Africa 1: 1-176.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Cope, T.A., Knees, S.G. & Miller, A.G. (2007). Flora of the Arabian peninsula and Socotra 5(1): 1-387. Edinburgh University Press.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Exell, A.W. (1973). Angiosperms of the islands of the gulf of Guinea (Fernando Po, Príncipe, S.Tomé, and Annobon) Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany 4: 325-411.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
  • Launert, E. (1971). Flora Zambesiaca 10(1): 1-152. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Ndabaneze, P. (1989). Catalogue des Graminées du Burundi Lejeunia; Revue de Botanique, n.s., 132: 1-127.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (1995). Flora of Somalia 4: i-ii, 1-298. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1988). Flora du Rwanda 4: I-X, 1-651. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.
  • Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A Handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Fl. Afr. Austr. 453 (1841).

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Bosser, J. & Renvoize, S.A. (2018). Flore des Mascareignes 203: 1-276. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
  • Clayton, W.D. (1970). Gramineae Flora of Tropical East Africa 1: 1-176.
  • Cope, T.A., Knees, S.G. & Miller, A.G. (2007). Flora of the Arabian peninsula and Socotra 5(1): 1-387. Edinburgh University Press.
  • Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Exell, A.W. (1973). Angiosperms of the islands of the gulf of Guinea (Fernando Po, Príncipe, S.Tomé, and Annobon) Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Botany 4: 325-411.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
  • Launert, E. (1971). Flora Zambesiaca 10(1): 1-152. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Ndabaneze, P. (1989). Catalogue des Graminées du Burundi Lejeunia; Revue de Botanique, n.s., 132: 1-127.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (1995). Flora of Somalia 4: i-ii, 1-298. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Troupin, G. (ed.) (1988). Flora du Rwanda 4: I-X, 1-651. Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Eggeling, Ann. list grasses Ug.: 8 (1947).
  • Nees, Fl. Afr. Austr.: 453 (1841).

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    Flora of West Tropical Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0