Red Brome

Many Chinese gatherings identified as Bromus rubens were misidentified specimens of B. tectorum. The presence of this species in China has not been confirmed.

Annual. Culms tufted, erect or ascending, 15–35 cm tall, pubescent below inflorescence. Leaf sheaths pubescent; leaf blades 5–10 cm × 3–5 mm, both surfaces pubescent. Panicle densely contracted, narrowly elliptic in outline, stiffly erect, 4–7 × ca. 2 cm, often tinged with purple; branches 2–5 mm, much shorter than spikelets, branches and pedicels pubescent. Spikelets 15–25 mm, florets4–9, upper florets sterile, reduced; glumes minutely hairy, keel ciliate, lower glume 7–9 mm, upper glume 10–12 mm; lemmas 12–16 mm, scabrid to pubescent, 2-toothed, apical teeth 4–5 mm, awned from sinus; awn 10–20 mm, scabrid, spreading at maturity; palea shorter than lemma, keels sparsely villous. Stamens (2 or)3, anthers to 2 mm. Fl. May–Jul. 2n = 14, 28.

Xinjiang [Tajikistan, Turkmenistan; N Africa, SW Asia, S Europe; introduced in America and Australia].

Dry slopes; ca. 3900 m.

Anisantha rubens (Linnaeus) Nevski; Bromus madritensis Linnaeus subsp. rubens (Linnaeus) Husnot; B. scoparius Linnaeus var. rubens (Linnaeus) Saint-Amans; Festuca rubens (Linnaeus) Persoon; Zerna rubens (Linnaeus) Grossheim.