Poaceae
Bromus

Bromus variegatus M.Bieb.

First published in Fl. Taur.-Caucas. 3: 79 (1819)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Türkiye to Tibet. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths glabrous to pilose; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25-70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5-15 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 5-15 fertile spikelets. Panicle open; ovate, or globose; dense; 4-9 cm long; 1-5 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches bearing 1-2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 12-20 mm long; 3-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 12-20 mm long; 3-4 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; 4-9 mm long; 0.5-0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7-11 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 7-12 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green and purple; tipped with last colour; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2-9 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 3-4 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
Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, and China.
Reference
Bromeae. Fl Turk 1993.
[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