| Multitribe: Answers to key questions
leading to this tribe.
| Mature inflorescence, if breaking into units, then the units not as
below; NOT [Mature inflorescence breaking into spikelet units consisting
of a sessile fertile spikelet, a hairy pedicel with or without a sterile
spikelet at tip, and a hairy rachis joint, all arising at the same point
(a node) in specialized panicle branches called rames] |
| Spikelets not as below; sterile florets if present, either located
distal to the fertile floret(s) on the rachilla or paired and attached
at the base of a single fertile floret, not paired with the upper glume
as below; lemma and palea variously textured, enclosing the flower or
not; disarticulation usually above the glumes; NOT [Spikelets usually
dorsally compressed, appearing 1-flowered but containing 1 fertile
floret and 1 sterile floret, the latter attached to the base of fertile
floret opposite the upper glume, resembling the upper glume, and
together with the upper glume enveloping the fertile floret; lower
glumes minute (sometimes absent) to 3/4 as long as upper glumes and
typically wrapping most of the way around the pedicel at base; fertile
floret seed-like with chartaceous-indurate lemma and palea enclosing
flower and fruit; disarticulation below the glumes with rare exceptions] |
| Spikelets 1 to many-flowered, subtended by a pair of glumes (only 1 on
lateral spikelets in Lolium); palea margins enclosed or not; plants of
dry or wet habitats; NOT [Spikelets 1-flowered, lacking glumes; margins
of the palea tightly enclosed by the lemma margins on female or perfect
florets; plants of wetlands, often emergent aquatic] |
| Inflorescence not as below; if a terminal spike, then the lateral
spikelets attached edgewise to the rachis with inner (upper) glume
wanting (as in Lolium); NOT [Inflorescence a terminal spike with sessile
or subsessile spikelets attached broadside at nodes on opposite sides of
the rachis] |
| Lemmas and lemma awns not as below; if lemma indurate and enveloping
the floret, then glumes distinctly dorsally compressed and calluses
glabrous (as in Milium); NOT [Lemmas stiff to indurate, firmer than the
glumes, surrounding the palea and often overlapping along the margins,
closed at the tip as well as at the base, often pubescent; lemma awns
(caducous or wanting in some species) terete and encircled at the base
by the closed tip of the lemma; calluses usually pubescent, rarely
glabrous]
|
|
| Group3: Answers to key questions
leading to this group.
| If plants mat-forming, then inflorescences not as below; NOT
[Mat-forming annuals or perennials either with clusters of spikelets
hidden by sharp-pointed leaves at branch tips, or with pistillate
inflorescences consisting of burs partially hidden within expanded leaf
sheaths with only the staminate inflorescences exceeding the upper
leaves] |
| Inflorescence not as below, the spikelets usually on pedicels in
panicles that range from spike-like to open; if spikelets sessile, then
they either have more than 1 fertile floret per spikelet or are not
arranged like the teeth of a comb; NOT [Inflorescence consisting of
spike-like panicle branches with sessile- subsessile, closely imbricate,
regularly-spaced, parallel spikelets all directed toward 1 side of the
branch like the teeth of a comb (loosely so in Bouteloua curtipendula);
fertile florets 1 per spikelet] |
| Spikelets with more than 1 fertile floret; sterile florets if present,
attached above the fertile florets (Phragmites, with sterile florets
attached above and below fertile florets, is an exception); NOT
[Spikelets with 1 fertile floret; sterile florets if present, attached
above or below the fertile floret]
|
| Bromus: Answers to key questions
leading to this genus.
| Inflorescence a panicle with all spikelets subtended by 2 glumes; NOT
[Inflorescence a terminal spike; lateral spikelets positioned edgewise
to the rachis and lacking a glume on inside edge] |
| Spikelets usually pedicellate; if sessile-subsessile, then not
arranged as below; NOT [Spikelets sessile or subsessile on spike-like
panicle branches, or on short secondary branches in dense one-sided
clusters at branch tips] |
| Rachillas glabrous or pubescent; if pubescent, then hairs much shorter
than the lemmas; panicles and plants not as below; NOT [Rachillas with
silky hairs (4) 6-10 mm long, as long as the lemmas or nearly so;
panicles 15-35 (45) cm long, 8-20 cm wide at maturity, dense, feathery;
plants 10-30 (40) dm tall, with stout, creeping rhizomes and often
forming dense stands] |
| Glumes < 17 mm long; if glumes longer, then plants perennial; NOT
[Glumes 18-32 mm long, usually exceeding the lemmas; plants annual] |
| Plants with the below combination of characteristics: Culm
sheaths closed to near summit; leaf blades flat; spikelets 12-40 (55) mm
long; lemmas 7-14 (21) mm long, usually awned, the awns terminal or
subterminal; calluses glabrous; ovaries and caryopses with pubescent
apical appendage; caryopses adnate to paleas at maturity
|
|
| Ciliatus: Answers to key questions
leading to this species
| Plants
perennial; culms solitary to loosely tufted; lemmas unawned or with awns
attached just below the apex and projecting at most 7 (8) mm beyond it;
lemma apex entire, emarginate or bifid with teeth <= 0.5 mm long;
anthers 1-7 mm long; NOT [Plants annual; culms tufted; lemma awns
attached at least 1.5 mm below the apex and 8-18 mm long; lemma apex
bifid with teeth 0.5 to 2 (3) mm long; anthers 0.5-1.5 mm long] |
| Culms
loosely tufted, rhizomes absent; NOT
[Culms solitary or a few together from creeping rhizomes]
|
| Glume
nerves well-defined, with both lateral and midnerves visibly raised at
least distally, nerves 1-3 on lower glumes, 3 (5) on upper glumes;
lemmas flat or somewhat concave distally with tip of lemma usually not
appressed to base of awn; lemma awns projecting (1) 2-7 (8) mm beyond
the apex; lemmas distinctly, or obscurely, nerved; NOT [Glume nerves
usually poorly-defined with usually only the midnerve raised, nerves 3-7
(9) on lower glumes, 5-9 (11) on upper glumes; lemmas distinctly
laterally compressed distally with the tip of the lemma usually tightly
appressed to base of the awn; lemma awns projecting (3) 4-7 mm beyond
the apex; lemmas obscurely nerved] |
| Lemma awns
projecting 3-7 (8) mm beyond the lemma apex; leaf blades 4-15 mm wide;
lower glume usually 1-nerved, sometimes 3-nerved; lemmas margins
pubescent, lemma back glabrous or pubescent; NOT [Lemma awns projecting
(1) 2-3 (3.5) mm beyond the lemma apex, leaf
blades 2-5 (6) mm wide; lower glumes usually 3-nerved, sometimes
1-nerved; lemmas margins and back usually ± evenly pubescent to pilose,
rarely glabrous] |
| Lemma
conspicuously long hirsute (appearing ciliate) near margins on lower 1/2
to 2/3; lemma back usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent
proximally; anthers < 2 mm long; culms 4.5-12 (15) dm high when
panicle fully expanded; leaf blades 4-10 mm wide, glabrous abaxially,
usually pilose adaxially; NOT [Lemma pubescent near margins at least
proximally, but not conspicuously long hirsute; lemma back glabrous or
pubescent; anthers usually >= 2 mm long; culms 6-15 dm high, rarely
shorter when panicle fully expanded; leaf blades 5-15 (19) mm wide,
usually glabrous on both sides, sometimes pubescent]
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