Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Meadow brome

(Bromus commutatus)

galery
en

Description

Bromus commutatus, the meadow brome, is an annual or biennial species of plant in the grass family Poaceae. In the United States it is known as hairy chess. The height ranges from 40 to 120 cm (47 in). The panicle is 7–20 cm, usually nodding and often spreading, but erect as first. The leaf-sheaths are hairy, the upper are usually hairless. B. commutatus is stouter than B. racemosus, the smooth brome, with a flower-head not drooping to one side and a broader elongated branched flower head. It is found in meadows, wasteground, road verges, hayfields and rough grassland. Found throughout the United Kingdom, it is common in England on the moist soils of water meadows; it is rare in Scotland, Ireland and Wales. It is found naturally throughout Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia. It has been introduced into North America and in the United States is known as 'Hairy Chess'. The flowering period is from May to July. The species has no fodder value in the United Kingdom and is regarded as a weed. The attractive inflorescences may be used, either fresh or dry, in flower arrangements. Bromus commutatus var. pubens Wats has spikelets which are not hairless, having soft hairs. Bromus is a large genus of grasses, classified in its own tribe Bromeae. They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses or chess grasses. Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 to 400, but plant taxonomists currently recognize around 160–170 species. Bromus is part of the cool-season grass lineage (subfamily Pooideae), which includes about 3300 species. Within Pooideae, Bromus is classified in tribe Bromeae (it is the only genus in the tribe). Bromus is closely related to the wheat-grass lineage (tribe Triticeae) that includes such economically important genera as Triticum (wheat), Hordeum (barley) and Secale (rye).

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Liliopsida
Order:Poales
Family:Poaceae
Genus:Bromus
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