Bromus aleutensis

Trin. ex Griseb.
Common names: Aleut brome
Endemic
Synonyms: Bromus sitchensis var. aleutensis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 203.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants perennial; loosely cespitose. Culms 40-130 cm tall, 3-7 mm thick, often decumbent. Sheaths coarsely striate, pilose, hairs sparse to moderately dense, throats pilose; auricles rarely present; ligules 3.5-5 mm, usually glabrous, occasionally pubescent, lacerate; blades 13-35 cm long, 6-15 mm wide, flat, usually sparsely to moderately pilose on both surfaces, sometimes glabrous. Panicles 10-28 cm, erect, open or somewhat contracted; lower branches to 10 cm, 1-2 per node, stiffly ascending, with (1) 2-3 spikelets on the distal 72, sometimes confined to the tips. Spikelets 25-40 mm, elliptic to lanceolate, strongly laterally compressed, with 3-6 florets. Glumes glabrous or pubescent; lower glumes 9-13 mm, 3-5-veined; upper glumes 10-15 mm, 7 (9) -veined; lemmas 12-17 mm, lanceolate, laterally compressed, usually softly pubescent, sometimes glabrous, strongly keeled at least distally, 9 (11) -veined, veins conspicuous distally, apices entire or with acute teeth shorter than 1 mm; awns (3) 5-10 mm; anthers 2.2-4.2 mm. 2n = 56.

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Ont., Que., Alaska, Wash.

Discussion

Bromus aleutensis grows in sand, gravel, and disturbed soil along the Pacific coast, from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska to western Washington, and on some lake shores of central British Columbia. It has also been found further east in Canada and in northern Idaho, always in disturbed sites, such as road edges.

Bromus aleutensis might represent a modified version of B. sitchensis, in which reproduction occurs at a relatively early developmental state in response to the climatic conditions of the Aleutian Islands (Hulten 1968). B. aleutensis is predominantly self-fertilizing, and B. sitchensis is predominantly outcrossing. Anther lengths close to 4.2 mm suggest that at least some plants of B. aleutensis are outcrossing (Hitchcock 1969). Bromus aleutensis intergrades with B. carinatus var. marginatus to the south.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Bromus aleutensis"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.42 cm4.2 mm <br />0.0042 m <br />) +
with acute teeth +  and entire +
toothed +  and emarginate +
Leon E. Pavlickf +
Trin. ex Griseb. +
divaricate +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
straight +
distinct +
subterminal +  and terminal +
geniculate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
not evident +
glabrous +  and pilose +
cross +, linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
drooping;reflexed;usually ascending;spreading +
spikelike +
Aleut brome +
not branching +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (130 cm1,300 mm <br />1.3 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (190 cm1,900 mm <br />1.9 m <br />) +
not woody +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Alaska +  and Wash. +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 6 +
terete +  and laterally compressed +
1-9(11)-veined +
always shorter +  and usually shorter +
lanceolate +
subtending +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
mucronate +  and acute +
unequal +
sparse +  and moderately dense +
uncinate +
solid +  and hollow +
9(11)-veined +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
keeled +, compressed +  and lanceolate +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and coriaceous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
lacerate +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
fleshy +  and membranous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
hairy +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
reduced +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (28 cm280 mm <br />0.28 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
not viviparous +
compressed +, elliptic +  and lanceolate +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Bromus sitchensis var. aleutensis +
Bromus aleutensis +
Bromus sect. Ceratochloa +
species +
membranous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
conspicuous +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +