GRASS FAMILY. 



219 



84. BROMUS L,. Sp. PI. 76. 1753. 



Annual or perennial grasses, with flat leaves and terminal panicle*, the pedicel* thick- 

 ned at the summit. Sheaths sometimes not split. Spikelcts few many-flowered. Two 

 lower scales empty, unequal, acute; flowering scales rounded on the back, or uumMfth^ 

 compressed-keeled, s-g-nerved, the apex usually 2-toothed, generally bearing an awn jwt 

 below the summit; palet shorter than the scale, 2-keeled. Stamens usually j. Stigma* ae*. 

 sile, plumose, inserted below a hairy cushion-like appendage at the top of the ovary. Grain 

 adherent to the palet. [Greek name for a kind of oats.] 



About 40 species, most numerous in the north temperate zone. Besides the following some 11 



others occur in the western parts of North America. 



Lower empty scale i -nerved, the upper 3-nerved. 

 Tall perennials, 2-4 high. 



Sheaths glabrous or softly pubescent, the lower sometimes sparingly hirsute 



Leaves 2"-6" wide; culms stoutish; branches of the panii IPS* spreadinc 



drooping. ,. /. 



Leaves less than 2 wide; culms slender; branches of the panicle erect 



rrerltti. 



Sheaths strongly retrorse-hirsute. j. B. atpfr. 



Low annuals, i-2 high; spikelets drooping. 



Spikelets numerous, on slender recurved unilateral pedicels; flowering Male* 4"-^' long. 



4- I* 



Spikelets few, the pedicels not unilateral; flowering scales 6"-8" long. 5. H. Hn 

 swer empty scale 3-nerved, the upper 5-o-nerved (3-nerved in No. 6). 

 Flowering scales rounded on the back, at least below. 

 Flowering scales awned. 



Flowering scales pubescent. 



Pubescence dense, consisting of long silky hairs. 



Second empty scale 3-nerved; flowering scales s"-6" lone. 6. B. /\>n 

 Second empty scale 5-y-nerved ; flowering scales about 4 ' lour. 



7. ft. A'almii 



Pubescence of short appressed soft hairs, not dense. 8. B. kordtaceut. 



Flowering scales glabrous or minutely roughened. 

 Awns straight. 



Nerves of the turgid flowering scales obscure; palet about equalling the ncalc. 



which is 3"-4" long. Q. ft. sfcaltmtu. 



Nerves of the flowering scale prominent; palet considerably shorter than th* 



scale, which is 4"-s" long. 10. B. racfmotm 



Awns strongly bent near the base, divergent. n. ft. tqitam 



Flowering scales not awned, nearly as broad as long. 12. R. brisaeformii. 



Flowering scales compressed-keeled. 



Flowering scales pubescent; awn 2" -3" long. i ; //. breinaritlaltn. 



Flowering scales minutely roughened; awn less than i" long, or none. 



i; B. UHtoloidft. * 



i. Bromus ciliatus L,. Fringed Brome-grass. Wood Chess. (Fig. 506.) 



Bromus purgans L. Sp. PI. 76. 

 Bromus ciliatus L- Sp. PI. 76. 



1753? 

 1753- 



Culms 2-4 tall, erect, simple, glabrous or 

 pubescent. Sheaths often shorter than the 

 internodes, smooth or rough, often softly 

 pubescent, or the lower sometimes sparingly 

 hirsute; ligule very short; leaves 4'- 12' long, 

 2 // -6 // wide, smooth beneath, scabrous and 

 often pubescent above; panicle open, 4 / -io / 

 in length, its branches lax, widely spread- 

 ing or often drooping; spikelets 5-ioflow- 

 ered, i' long or less; empty scales very acute, 

 glabrous, rough on the keel, the first i- 

 nerved, the second longer, 3-nerved; flower- 

 ing scales 4 // -6 // long, obtuse or acute, 5-7- 

 nerved, appressed-pubescent on the margins 

 or over the entire surface; awn 2 // -4 // long. 



In woods and thickets, Newfoundland to 

 Manitoba and British Columbia, south to Florida 

 and Texas. Variable. The form known as var. 

 furgans (B. pubescens Muhl.) with the flower- 

 ing scales pubescent all over, may be distinct. 

 July-Aug. 



