Bromus hordeaceus L.

Seedling

Quite similar to Bromus lanceolatus. Single cotyledon large, 60-80 x 2-3 mm, hairy. Primordial leaves with toothed membranous ligule, to 3 mm high, without auricles, hairy. Seedling light green.

Adult plant

Bromus hordeacus is an annual erect plant, that can reach 80 cm high, isolated or in small clumps. Erect culms, pubescent nodes. Sheath with circular section, not keeled, with visible veins, with variable pubescence, with lateral edges welded on the three quarters of their length. Ligule short, membrano ciliate 0.5-3 mm. Leaves alternate, with rolled prefoliation, ash-green due to more or less accentuated pubescence, 3.9-14 x 0.3-0.6 cm, flat ; blade erect, linear, acuminate, rather short, soft, upper face dull, strongly pubescent, with hairs longer than on the lower face especially on the margin where they can reach 4-5 mm long, lower face dull, keeled, more finely hairy than the upper face (hairs of 1 mm), or sometimes glabrous. Inflorescence a very dense, open panicle of general oval shape; branches shorter than spikelets, erect, pubescent, arranged in 1-6 whorls, each with 1-7(14) solitary spikelets. Spikelets aristate, 13-25 mm long and 3.5-6 mm wide, lanceolate, with 7-11 flowers, opening at maturity and disarticulating below each fertile floret. Glumes unequal, hairy, shorter than the spikelet; the lower 5.5-6.5 x 1.7-1.8 mm, lanceolate, 3-5-veined, the upper 6.8-7.2 x 2.5-3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, 5-7-veined. Lemma 6-9 mm, elliptic to obovate, surface hirsute, apex bidentate extended by a 3.7-8 mm ridge, straight or slightly divaricate at maturity, inserted 0.2-1.5 mm from apex; palea 5-6.5 mm, elliptic, glabrous, ciliate.

Origin

Bromus hordeaceus is native to the Eurosiberian-Mediterranean-Macaronesian region.

Algeria: Common plant in the Tell, the High Plateaux, the Saharan Atlas (including Aures) and the central Sahara.

Worldwide distribution

This species has become cosmopolitan and present in all regions with temperate or Mediterranean climate.

https://www.gbif.org/species/2703777