Bromus sterilis

Bromus sterilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Genus:	Bromus
Species:	B. sterilis
Binomial name
Bromus sterilis L.[1][2]
Synonyms [1][2][3][4]
Anisantha sterilis (L.) Nevski Zerna sterilis (L.) Panz. (nom. inval.)

Bromus sterilis is an annual or biennial species of bromegrass known as barren brome, poverty brome, and sterile brome.

Description

This is an annual or biennial grass ranging from about 20 to 90 centimeters in maximum height. Leaf blades are 2–6 mm wide and 6–25 cm long with short, soft hair.[5] The inflorescence is a spreading panicle with the lower parts drooping more than the upper. The spikelet is up to 6 cm long.

The leaves are rough and hairy, green to purplish in colour. The ligule is pointed, toothed, 2 to 4 mm long.[6]

Ligule is pointed

The panicles are loose, open and nodding. The spikelets are 4 to 6 cm long, with awns, producing 4 to 10 flowers.[7]

Distribution

It can be found between sea level and 365 metres, along roadsides, hedge bottoms, and is a common weed of waste ground and gardens.

This grass is native to:

• northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia);
• western and middle Asia (Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan); the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Russian Federation in Ciscaucasia and Dagestan);
• northern, middle, eastern, and southeastern Europe (Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, including Corsica, Germany, Greece, including Crete, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, including Sardinia and Sicily, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, including the Balearic Islands, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the former Yugoslavian states).[2]

Invasive plant species

It is well known in many parts of the world where it has become an introduced species. It is a noxious weed on the eastern and western sides of North America, an Invasive species in California.

References

1.  Species was first described and published in Species Plantarum 1: 77. 1753. "Plant Name Details for Bromus sterilis". IPNI. Retrieved August 9, 2010. basionym of: Zerna sterilis
2. "Bromus sterilis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
3.  Anisantha sterilis was published in Trudy Sredne-Aziatskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta. Serija 8b. Botanika. Acta Universitatis Asiae Mediae. Botanica, Ser. 8b, Bot. 17:20. 1934. Tashkent. "Anisantha sterilis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
4.  Zerna sterilis was published in Denkschriften der Koniglich Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München, 4: 297. 1814. Munich. "Plant Name Details for Zerna sterilis". IPNI. Retrieved August 9, 2010. Remarks: Specific epithet not associated with genus name.
5. Edgar E. & Connor H.E. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, Vol. V, Grasses. P. 368.
6. BSBI Description Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 10 December 2010.
7. Grasses by C E Hubbard, 1978, published by Penguin books

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Photo gallery