Pl. 182 c;
Map 738
Festuca bromoides L.
Flowering stems 5–35(–50) cm long, glabrous or roughened.
Leaf blades 1–15 cm long, 0.5–2.5 mm wide, often sparsely hairy on the upper
surface. Inflorescences 5–15 cm long. Spikelets 5–12 mm long (excluding the
awns), with 3–5(–7) relatively loosely spaced florets, the rachilla 0.9–1.1
long between the attachment points of the florets. Lower glume 3.5–5.0 mm long,
1/2–3/4 as long as the upper glume. Upper glume 4.5–7.0 mm long. Lemmas with
the body 4.0–7.5 mm long, glabrous or roughened, the tip with an awn 3–12 mm
long. Anthers 0.5–0.8 mm long. Fruits 3–4 mm long. 2n=14, 42. April–May.
Introduced, known from a single site in Jasper County (native of Europe, widely naturalized in North America, South America, Africa,
and Australia). Roadsides near a chert glade.
In North America, this species has become a widespread weed,
most commonly from British Columbia to Baja California Norte. It is encountered
sporadically in the eastern and midwestern United States and is apparently
absent from the Great Plains. The first report for Missouri was by Christ
(1988).