Common name: Sand Brome
Bromus arenarius Labill. APNI* Synonyms: Serrafalcus arenarius (Labill.) C.A.Gardner APNI*
Description: Erect or ascending annual to 0.8 m high; culms glabrous or almost so.
Leaves with sheath villous; ligule truncate, to 3 mm long; blade to 4 mm wide, densely pubescent or villous.
Panicle pyramidal, loose, drooping, 4–15 cm long, branches curved. Spikelets oblong-lanceolate, laterally compressed, 5–14-flowered, 20–46 mm long including awns. Glumes narrow-acute to aristate, lower usually 3-nerved, 7–9.5 mm long; upper 5–7-nerved, 7–14 mm long. Lemmas lanceolate, 7-nerved, 10–15 mm long; awn subapical, rigid, usually curved, 10–20 mm long. Palea 60–80% the length of the lemma.
Flowering: spring or in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows on sandy soils in drier areas, widespread.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A.
*B. japonicus Thunb. var. vestitus (Schrad.) Halácsy with awns 10 mm or more long and spikelets tending to spread at maturity and on long, slender pedicels is possibly naturalized in SWS or CWS. This species is very similar to B. arenarius.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & S. M. Hastings
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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