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- Bromus latiglumis
Bromus latiglumis — flanged brome
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Facts
Flanged brome has a wide distribution across northern and central North America. In New England it is a grass of river banks, cobbled river shores and riparian forests.
Habitat
Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shores of rivers or lakes
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 5–10 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 15–30 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 3–7 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.8–1.4 mm
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 2–3 mm
- Anther number
- 2–3
- Awn on glume
- the glume has no awn
- Bristles below spikelets
- no
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is thin and flexible
- Floret number
- 4–9
- Floret types within spikelet
- all the florets within a spikelet are similar
- Glume awn length
- 0 mm
- Glume relative length
- neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets
- Glume veins
-
- 1
- 3
- Glumes per spikelet
- 2
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis bends downwards or hangs
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Inflorescence branches coming off the lowest stem node
- 1–2
- Inflorescence crowding
- the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches
- Inflorescence length
- 100–220 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes
- Inforescence position
- the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem
- Lemma awn base
- the awn is attached at the upper half of the lemma
- Lemma awn coiled
- the lemma awn is straight or twisted, but not coiled one half turn
- Lemma awn length
- 3–7 mm
- Lemma awn number
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma awn orientation
- the awn of the lemma is straight
- Lemma base hair length
- 0 mm
- Lemma base hairs
- the lemma is hairless or feels just a tiny bit rough at the base
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma hairs
- the lemma has fine hairs between the veins
- Lemma keel hairs
- NA
- Lemma marginal vein hairs
- the marginal vein of the lemma has fine hairs on it
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma tip
- the lemma tip is split into two or more points
- Lemma tip shape
-
- the lemma tip tapers to a broad point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)
- the lemma tip tapers to a narrow point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)
- Lemma vein number
-
- 5
- 7 or more
- Lemma vein orientation
- the veins on the lemma come together near the tip
- Lower glume length
- 4–7.5 mm
- Lower glume relative length
- the lower glume is one third to three quarters as long as the upper glume
- One or more florets
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is an extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet disintegration
- the spikelet breaks off above the glumes, so that after the florets fall off, the glumes remain
- Spikelet length
- 15–30 mm
- Spikelet number per node
- Up to 0
- Spikelet pedicel
- the spikelets have pedicels
- Spikelet shape
-
- the spikelets are elliptic (widest in the middle, tapering to the ends) in profile
- the spikelets are lanceolate (lance-shaped, widest below the middle and tapering narrowly to the ends) in profile
- Spikelet width
- 5–9 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Tip of glume
- the tip of the glume is not divided (though it may have an awn on it)
- Upper glume length
- 6–9 mm
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Fruits or seeds
- Groove on seed
- the caryopsis has a groove running most of its length
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Rhizomes
- no
- Roots
- there are only slender roots on the plant
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves have auricles
- Leaf blade cross-section
- the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section, or slightly folded or rolled inwards
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
- the leaf blade is hairy
- Leaf blade length
- 20–30 cm
- Leaf blade width
- 5–10 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0.8–1.4 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane
- Leaf margin glands
- there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are fused together and form a closed tube except (possibly) at the very top
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases
- Leaf sheath hairs
- there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Orientation of topmost leaf
-
- the flag leaf is held outward at more than a 45 degree angle from the stem, or it curves downwards from the horizontal
- the flag leaf is held upright, or at less than a 45 degree angle out from the stem
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- river or stream floodplains
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Hairs at nodes
- the stem nodes are hairless or they have very sparse hairs
- Plant height
- 80–150 cm
- Roots at lower stem nodes
- no
- Stem hairs
-
- the stem has hairs on it
- the stem is nearly to completely hairless
- Stem node number
- 9–20
- Stem orientation
- the stems are upright
- Stem spacing
- the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
Wetland status
Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4)
- New Hampshire
- unrankable (S-rank: SU), Ind (code: Ind)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
10. Bromus latiglumis (Shear) A.S. Hitchc. N
flanged brome. Bromus altissimus Pursh; B. purgans, auct. non L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, VT. River banks, upper edge of gravel and cobble river shores, riparian forests.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Bromus pubescens:
- leaf sheaths not overlapping, at the least the upper nodes exposed, glabrous to pubescent near the apex of the sheath, but not outwardly flanged or auriculate, and anthers mostly 2.5-4 mm long (vs. B. latiglumis, with leaf sheaths overlapping and concealing the nodes, densely pubescent near the apex of the sheath and outwardly flanged and auriculate, and anthers 2-3 mm long).
Synonyms
- Bromus altissimus Pursh
- Bromus purgans, auct. non L.