1918 CLIII. GRAMINE^. 



89. BROMUS, Linn. 

 (Greek name for the Wild Oat.) 



Spikelets several-flowered, oblong or lanceolate, pedicellate, erect or drooping, 

 in a more or less branched panicle, the rhachis of the spikelet articulate between 

 the flowering glumes, glabrous or scabrous pubescent. Outer empty glumes 

 acute Of fine-pointed, unawned. Flowering glumes convex on the back, 5 or 

 7-nerved, the hyaline, apex usually shortly bifid, the midrib produced into a 

 straight or curved awn free from a little below the apex. Palea nearly as long 

 as the glume, the 2 prominent nerves usually scabrous-ciliate. Ovary obovate, 

 crowned by a hairy membranous appendage, the very short distinct styles more 

 or less lateral. Grain flattened, adhering to the palea, and often more or less to 

 the base of the glume. 



The genus is widely distributed over the temperate regions of the globe. 



Spikelets flat, many-flowered, in *a branching panicle. Glumes complicate 

 keeled, several-nerved, acute, or the flowering o les shortly awned . . . 1. B. 'unioloides. 



Spikelets lanceolate, flattened, 1 to IJin. long with the awns. Flowering 

 glumes narrow, loosely imbricate . 2. B. arenarius. 



Spikelets linear-lanceolate, flattened 2in. long with the awns. Flowering 

 gluines narrow, loosely imbricate 3. B. sterilis. 



1. B. "^'unioloides (Uniola-like) H. B. K.; Kunth, Emm. i. 415. Prairie 

 Grass. An erect grass of 2ft. or more. Leaves more or less pubescent) with 

 soft spreading hairs. Panicle loose, eiect or at length drooping, like that of a 

 Bromus. Spikelets lanceolate, resembling those of the North American UniQlcB, 

 f to l|in. long, and the flowering glumes about jin. — Festuca unioloides, Willd. 

 Hort. Berol. 3, t. 3; Bromus Willdenownii, Kunth, I.e. 416; Ceratochloa 

 festucoides, Beauv. Agrost. 75, 158, t. 15, f. 7 ; Ceratochloa unioloides, DC. Cat. 

 Hort. Monsp. 92 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 662 ; F. Schraderi, Kunth ; Duthie 

 Grass, N.W. Ind. 43 ; Fodd. Grass N. Ind. 67. 



Hab : An American plant, chiefly western now naturalised' in southern localities. 



2. B. arenarius (found on sandy land), Labill. FL Nov. Holl. i. 23, °t. 28; 



Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 661. Barley Grass. Apparently annual, from 1ft. to about 

 l^ft. high. Leaves flat; flaccid, softly hairy or pubescent. Panicle at first erect 

 at length drooping, the capillary branches clustered, the longer ones 2 to Sin. 

 long with 1 to 4 spikelets on capillary pedicels. Spikelets lanceolate, \ to |in. 

 long without the awns, flat, 5 to 9-flowered. Glumes all pubescent or glabrous, 

 the lowest about 3 lines long and 5-nerved, the 2nd longer and 7-nerved, both 

 empty and acute ; flowering glumes rather longer, about 7-nerved, convex on the 

 back, the awn free from a little below the scarious tip, \ to fin. long. — BaiL 

 111. Mono. Gr. Q. i. ; Turner Austr. Gr. 15 ; B. australis, E. Br. Prod. 178; Nees 

 in PI. Preiss. ii. 108. 



Hab.: Common on the southern downs. 



Often called Oat Grass. It is a winter or early spring grass, and considered a good kind 

 by many of our aheep farmers especially on the inland plains. 



Munro thinks the species may be the same as the B. japanicum, Tbunb, If this should be 

 verified Thunberg's name would take precedence over Labillardi^re's. — Benth. 



3. B "^Sterilis (sterile), Linn.; Kunth, Enum. i. 418; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 

 662. An erect grass of 1 to 2ft. Leaves flaccid, softly pubescent. Panicle loose 

 with rather long erect at kngth drooping branches. Spikelets linear-lanceolate, 

 mostly about lin. long without the awns, 6 to 8-flowered. Outer glumes narrow, 

 ending in fine points, the lowest keeled, only i to fin. long, the 2nd longer, 

 3-nerved. Flowering glumes mostly 5 or 7-nerved, the hyaline tips ending in 

 2 fine points. Awn much longer than the glume itself, very scabrous. — Reiohb. 

 lo. Fl. Germ. t. 78. 



Hab.: A weed of cultivation in southern localities. 

 A common grass in Europe. 



