82 



GRAMINEAE. 



66. Bromus. 



66. BROMUS, L. 



(Greek bromos, some kind of oat.) 

 Spikelets several-flowered, paniculate ; outer glumes 2, unequal, shorter than the flowers; 

 flowering glume rounded or rarely keeled on the back, with 5 or more nerves, awned a 

 little below the bifid summit; palea strongly ciliate on the nerves; styles inserted on 

 one side of the pubescent summit of the ovary ; grain linear-oblong, adhering to the palea. 

 A. Spikelets expanded at top after flowering, owing to the 

 divergent flowers. 

 B. 1st glume 1 -nerved, 2nd 3-nerved. 



C. Panicle very long and loose B. maximus 1. 



0. Panicle shorter, compact. 



Panicle somewhat loose ; stem glabrous B. madritensis 2. 



Panicle very dense ; stem pubescent B. rubens 3. 



B. 1st glume 3-nerved, 2nd 5 -nerved B. arenarius 4. 



A. Spikelets contracted at top, even after flowering ; outer 

 glumes several-nerved. 



Spikelets flat ; panicle loose B. unioloides 5. 



Spikelets thick ; panicle dense B. mollis 6. 



* 1. B. maximus, Desf. Great Brome. Erect annual with pubescent stems; leaves 

 villous ; panicle rather loose, erect or drooping at top ; spikelets scabrous, 6-10 cm. long 

 with the awns, 6-10-flowered : flowering glume with 7 prominent nerves and an awn 

 about twice its length. 



Throughout the settled districts. A form with very stiff, rough awns (B. rigidus, Roth), 

 is known in the country as " Jabbers," Oct.-Nov. — Europe. 



* 2. B. madritensis, L. Madrid Brome. Slender annual 

 with glabrous stems ; leaves pubescent ; panicle turning 

 purple, rather dense, with short branches ; spikelets 

 3-5 cm. long with the awns, 7-12-flowered ; flowering 

 glumes narrow, faintly 7-nerved and finally curved out- 

 wards ; awn slender, a little longer than glume. 



Common at least as far north as Quorn. Oct.-Nov. 

 — Mediterranean region. 



* B. rubens, L. Red Brome. Near the preceding, but 

 has pubescent stems and a very dense ovoid purplish 

 panicle, with very short branches ; the same divergent 

 and scabrous flowering glumes and slender awns. 



From Jamestown northwards, at least as far as Marree ; 

 Eyre Peninsula. Sept. -Nov. — Mediterranean region. 



4. B. arenarius, Labill. Sand brome. Annual, with 

 soft, densely pubescent or villous leaves ; panicle loose, 

 drooping ; spikelets 3-4 cm. long with the awns, pale or 

 purplish, 6-14-flowered ; 1st glume 3-nerved, 2nd 

 5-nerved, sometimes sub-7-nerved ; flowering glume 

 7-nerved, with a slender awn about its own length. 



Throughout the State, from the sea-coast to the Far 

 North but not common. Aug. -Oct. Fig. 22.— Bromus madritensis. 



*5. B. unioloides, H. B. et K. Prairie-grass. Stout annual or biennial ; lower leaf- 

 sheaths villous ; panicle long, loose, pyramidal, spikelets very flat, narrowed towards 

 summit, 6-8-flowered ; 1st glume 7-nerved, 2nd 9-nerved ; flowering glume keeled, 9-13- 

 nerved, with a very short awn ; ovary 3-horned. 



Settled districts. Oct. -Jan. — North and South America. 



*6. B. mollis, L. Soft Brome. Annual, with softly villous leaves ; panicle ovoid or 

 oblong, dense after flowering, erect, with branches shorter than the spikelets, which are 

 pubescent or glabrous, 5- 11 -flowered ; 1st glume 5-nerved, the 2nd 7-nerved; flowering 

 glume 7-nerved, with an awn nearly as long as itself. 



Settled districts. Oct. -Jan. — Europe. 



67. BRACHYPODIUM, Beauv. 

 (Greek brakhys, short ; podion, a little foot : the pedicels of the spikelets are very short.) 

 *1. B. distachyum, R. et S. Small annual, with kneed stems and pubescent nodes ; 

 leaves flat, short ; spikelets very slightly compressed, 7-15-flowered, 2-4 subsessile in a 

 short erect spike ; outer glumes unequal, the 1st 5-nerved, the 2nd 7-nerved ; flowering 

 glumes convex on the back, conspicuously 7-nerved, stiff, with a straight terminal awn 

 longer than the glume ; palea nearly as long, ciliate ; ovary hairy at top. 

 Adelaide plains ; Mount Lofty Range. Oct. -Dec. — Mediterranean region. 



Tribe 9. — Chlorideae. Spikelets 1 or several-flowered, sessile or subsessile in 2 rows 

 and forming a 1 -sided spike ; the rhachis of the spike not articulate. 



