Bromus catharticus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Bromus
Species:
B. catharticus
Binomial name
Bromus catharticus
Synonyms[1]
  • Bromus angustatus Pilg.
  • Bromus bolivianus Renvoize
  • Bromus breviaristatus (Hook.) Thurb. nom. illeg.
  • Bromus brongniartii Kunth
  • Bromus haenkeanus (J.Presl) Kunth
  • Bromus mathewsii Steud.
  • Bromus mucronatus Willd. ex Steud. nom. inval.
  • Bromus preslii Kunth
  • Bromus schraderi Kunth nom. illeg.
  • Bromus strictus Brongn. nom. illeg.
  • Bromus unioloides (Willd.) Kunth ex Raspail nom. illeg.
  • Bromus unioloides Kunth
  • Bromus willdenowii Kunth
  • Ceratochloa australis Spreng. ex Steud. nom. inval.
  • Ceratochloa breviaristata Hook.
  • Ceratochloa cathartica (Vahl) Herter
  • Ceratochloa festucoides P.Beauv. nom. inval.
  • Ceratochloa haenkeana J.Presl
  • Ceratochloa pendula Schrad.
  • Ceratochloa secunda J.Presl
  • Ceratochloa simplex Nees
  • Ceratochloa submutica Steud. [Spelling variant]
  • Ceratochloa unioloides (Willd.) P.Beauv.
  • Ceratochloa willdenowii (Kunth) W.A.Weber
  • Festuca quitensis Spreng. nom. illeg.
  • Festuca unioloides Willd.
  • Forasaccus breviaristatus (Hook.) Lunell
  • Schedonorus unioloides (Kunth) Roem. & Schult.
  • Serrafalcus unioloides (Kunth) Samp.
  • Tragus unioloides (Willd.) B.D.Jacks. nom. inval.
  • Zerna unioloides (Kunth) Lindm.

Bromus catharticus is a species of brome grass known by the common names rescuegrass, grazing brome, prairie grass, and Schrader's bromegrass.[2] The specific epithet catharticus is Latin, meaning cathartic. The common name rescuegrass refers to the ability of the grass to provide forage after harsh droughts or severe winters. The grass has a diploid number of 42.

It is native to South America but it can be found in other places, including Europe, Australia and North America, as an introduced species.

Description

Bromus catharticus is a coarse winter annual or biennial grass, growing 0.2–1 m (7.9 in – 3 ft 3.4 in) in height. The culms of the grass are glabrous and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) thick. The sheaths are densely hairy. The grass lacks auricles and the glabrous ligule is 1–4 mm (0.039–0.157 in) long. The leaf blades are 4–30 cm (1.6–11.8 in) long and 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) wide and are glabrous or pubescent. The erect or nodding panicles are 9–28 cm (3.5–11.0 in) long. The upper spikelets are erect and the lower spikelets are nodding or drooping. Each flat and pointed spikelet is 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) long and has four to twelve florets. The glumes are smooth or occasionally slightly scabrous. The lower glume is fie to seven-veined and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long, and the upper glume is seven to nine-veined and 9–17 mm (0.35–0.67 in) long. The lemmas are scabrous or nearly glabrous and lack awns or possess very short awns 2 mm (0.079 in) in length. The lemmas are 11–20 mm (0.43–0.79 in) long. The palea is over half the length of the lemma. The anthers are 0.5–5 mm (0.020–0.197 in) long.[3][4]

Habitat

Bromus catharticus grows in open and disturbed areas.[5]

References

  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 12 November 2015
  2. "Bromus catharticus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. Merrit Lyndon Fernald (1970). R. C. Rollins (ed.). Gray's Manual of Botany (Eighth (Centennial) - Illustrated ed.). D. Van Nostrand Company. p. 102. ISBN 0-442-22250-5.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (1993). Flora of North America: North of Mexico. Vol. 24. Oxford University Press. p. 201. ISBN 9780195310719.
  5. James P. Smith (2014). Field Guide to Grasses of California. California Natural History Guides (illustrated ed.). University of California Press. p. 206. ISBN 9780520275683.
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