Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus

From Puget Prairie Plants
  • Scientific Name: Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus
  • Family: Poaceae
  • Common Names: California brome
  • Synonyms/Misapplications: Bromus carinatus, Ceratochloa carinata
  • Codon: BROSIT

Photo by Craig Althen, 2015. Also featured on Main Page

Taxonomy

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Subkingdom: Viridiplantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Spermatophytina
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Bromus L.
Species: Bromus carinatus Hook. & Arn.
Subspecies: "Bromus carinatus var. carinatus Hook. & Arn.
Synonyms
  • Ceratochloa carinata (Hook. & Arn.) Tutin

[1]

Description

Perennial grass with erect culms to 180 cm tall.[2] Sheaths closed, often pubescent, auricles greatly reduced or absent.[3] Inflorescences narrow panicles with 6 to 9-flowered, laterally-compressed spikelets.[2] Panicle branches with 1-5 spikelets.[4] Lemmas keeled, awned,[4] 7-11 veined, laterally compressed, typically glabrous;[2] lower glumes 3-7 veined, glabrous.[4]

Bloom Period

May-August[3]

Distribution

Across western North America.[3]

Habitat

Prairies, grasslands, shrublands, open forest.[4]

Propagation

Native Plant Network Propagation Protocol

Seed

Bromus carinatus, photo by Lisa Hintz
Bromus carinatus, photo by Lisa Hintz

Seed sample from: 2008

Average measurement: 14.6 x 1.5 x 1.5

Measurement range: L: 13.5 – 16 W: 1.1 – 1.8 D: 1.2 - 2

Features

Shape: Inner seed is about ½ the size of its husk, and brown.

Color:Seed husk tan, tending to be whiter toward hilium, and browner towards awn.

Surface:Hilium is somewhat glossy, while rest of husk is very hairy. Awn is brown and straight. Surface of seed longitudinally striate and glossy.

Latitudinal cross section: elliptical BRCA lat.png

Longitudinal cross section: elliptical BRCA long.png

Basic Explanations and Assumptions:

The dimensions for the seeds are length x width x depth. The location of the hilum is used as the base of the seed, and the length is measured from hilum to the opposite apex. Where a style is present, the length is measured from the hilum to the bottom of the style. Width is measured at a right angle to the length at the widest part. Depth is measured at a right angle to the intersection of height and width lines.

Measurements included are the mean average for each measurement of ten separate seeds.

All measurements in millimeters unless otherwise noted.

Photo Gallery

References

  1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=40520
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flora of North America. Retrieved from http://dev.floranorthamerica.org/Bromus_sitchensis
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 WTU Herbarium, Burke Museum, & University of Washington. Retrieved from https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Bromus%20sitchensis%20var.%20carinatus
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hitchcock, C. L., Cronquist, A., Giblin, D., & Legler, B. et al. (2018). Flora of the Pacific Northwest: an illustrated manual. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 781.