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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Poaceae
Bromus diandrus

Citation: Roth, Bot. Abh. 44 (1787).

Synonymy: -Anisantha diandra (Roth)Tutin ex Tzvelev, Not. Syst. Herb. Inst. Bot. Acad. Sci. URSS 22:4 (1963).--Bromus gussonii Parl., Pl. nov. 66 (1842); B. rigidus sensu J. Black, Fl.S. Aust. 128 (1943), non Roth. , Bromus maximus, Bromus villosus

Common name: Jabbers, great brome, Kingston grass, ripgut.

Description:
Strongly growing annual, 30-90 cm high, with erect usually stout stems, hairy below the panicle; leaves to 10 mm wide, rough with some long hairs; sheath loose, with spreading hairs; ligule prominent, membranous.

Panicle usually loose and nodding, to 25 cm, with rough branches, some at least as long as the spikelet, in half whorls of 3 or 4, each bearing a single (rarely 2) spikelet(s); spikelets to 35 mm, at first tightly enclosed by the glumes, becoming cuneate at maturity; lower glume 1-nerved, 15-20 mm, linear-lanceolate, the upper 3-nerved, 20-27 mm, lanceolate; lemma 25-28 mm, 5-nerved, lanceolate, with a toothed apex 5-7 mm above the insertion of the awn; callus scar, where floret is detached from the rhachilla, circular; awn 35-55 mm long, straight, scabrid and flattened.

Published illustration: Burbidge (1968) Australian grasses 2:pl. 69.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: LE, NU, GT, FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   All States; native of the Mediterranean region and south-west Europe.   Introduced into North America.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: mainly Sept. — Nov.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Reduced forms resemble B. rigidus but some panicle branches usually exceed 20 mm and the callus scar is always circular.

Uses: Useful as forage in coastal areas when young but the mature fruits work through the fleeces of sheep and become imbedded in the skin causing irritation and infection.

Author: Not yet available


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