BROMUS INTERRUPTUS, IN BRITAIN. 429 
inferiore vel exateriore dimidid parte aut dudbus partibus minus 
longas, divisa. 
Synonym. Bromus mollis, Linn. var. interruptus, Hackel, in 
‘Report Botanical Exchange Club British Isles for 1888,’ p. 240. 
The most striking feature of this plant when first seen is the 
inflorescence, which differs from all other species of Bromus 
known to me, in that single short stiff pedicels arise, alternately 
right and left of the main rachis, each bearing at its extremity 
3-5 sessile (or in some cases shortly stalked) spikelets. To this 
fact is due the peculiar and strikingly interrupted and compact 
appearance of the whole inflorescence, which is made up of two 
rows of clustered groups of 3-5 spikelets. 
This peculiar feature does not obtain in its nearest allies, 
Since in them 4-5 slender pedicels of various lengths arise at 
the same level on the rachis, each bearing one or two, rarely 
more, spikelets ; hence the inflorescence in these species is more 
loosely continuous. 
As will be seen, the alliance of B. interruptus is essentially 
with B. mollis, since the larger or inner glume extends half way 
to the apex of the sixth floret (the third on the same side), 
whereas in B. racemosus and B. commutatus it reaches only to the 
fourth flower (the second on the same side). The texture and 
pubescence too of the spikelets of B. interruptus are similar to 
those of B. mollis. The character which at once separates 
B. interruptus from B. mollis, B. commutatus, B. racemosus, &c., 
is to be found (as pointed out to me by Mr. L. Lester, M.A., of 
St. John’s College, Oxford) in the upper pale (the inner paler 
of Parnell), which is uniformly split to the base, and is much 
shorter than the outer or lower pale. 
B. interruptus is further distinguished from B. mollis by its 
more perennial growth, its greater height, and narrow strict 
interrupted panicle, The fruits of B. interruptus are shorter 
and darker in colour with a more conspicuous groove. In 
B. mollis the palea is more or less adherent to the surface of the 
caryopsis, than which it is slightly narrower, so that a small 
margin of the fruit is to be seen. In B. interruptus the pales 
are only rarely adherent and then not to the face but to the 
margins of the fruit. I can see no difference in the lodicules. 
The suggestion may be made that the split palea may be an 
accidental rupture during the growth of the fruit. That it is 
