Briza maxima L., Sp. Pl. 70 (1753).

T: habitat in Italia, Lusitania.

Vegetative form. Annual, caespitose. Leaves scattered along the culms. Culms 18-65 cm high, unbranched above, 3-5 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous, terete. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete, glabrous, with margins free, hyaline, smooth. Ligule 2.5-3 mm long, hyaline, smooth, acute to obtuse, erose. Collar glabrous. Leaf blades flat, linear, 70-195 mm long, 2-8 mm wide; adaxially glabrous; abaxially glabrous to abaxially scabrous; minutely with margins scabrous, apices acute to apices acuminose, flat.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Incomplete spikelets absent. Inflorescence of cleistogamous spikelets.

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a raceme to a panicle, open, ovate. Main inflorescence axis 80-305 mm long. Peduncles 75-245 mm long, glabrous. Rachides 20-70 mm long, strap-like to subterete, glabrous or scabrous to puberulous (sparsely). 2-6 spikelets on the rachis. Rachis angles glabrous, or scabrous to puberulous (minutely, sparsely). Primary inflorescence branches divaricate to reflexed (nodding), spiral, with spikelets inserted at the base. Spikelets 1 per node. Spikelets 2 on a typical ultimate inflorescence branch, opposite, on first order branches or on second order branches, distichous (the distal spikelets opposite).

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 10-22 mm long, laterally compressed, ovate, disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels 12-25 mm long. Glumes two per spikelet, free, similar, equal in length (often becoming purple with age), lateral to the rachis. Lower glume often broadly ovate to elliptic, 5.5-6.5 mm long, 2.5-3.75 mm wide, chartaceous, dorsally rounded, shortly acuminate to acute, muticous, base cordate, margin chartaceous, margin smooth; 7-9 veined, veins obscure, midvein glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume obovate to elliptic, 6.25-6.5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide, chartaceous, dorsally rounded, acute, muticous, base cordate, margin chartaceous, margin smooth; 9-10 veined, veins obscure, midvein glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Incomplete florets present, distal to the hermaphrodite florets. Hermaphrodite florets (5-)8-15 per spikelet. Rachilla disarticulating between the florets, disarticulating directly below the florets, flexuous, acropetally puberulous (trichomes clavate), elongated between all florets, apically prolonged. Callus present, blunt, 0.25 mm long, glabrous. Lemma similar in firmness to the glumes, ovate, 7.5-8 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide, chartaceous, not keeled, shortly acuminate, entire. Lemma margins smooth. Lemma 9-13 veined. Lemma veins not confluent apically, obscure, glabrous or pilose, with the hairs on all the veins, with the hairs extending the length of the veins; intercostal regions pilose, the hairs over the entire dorsal surface. Palea fully developed, 1/2 the length of the lemmas, similar in texture to the lemmas, tightly clasped by the lemmas, broadly obovate to elliptic, 3.5-3.75 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, membranous to chartaceous, 2-keeled, keels winged, truncate, entire; 2 veined, densely veins puberulous; minutely papillate or intercostal regions glabrous. Lodicules 2, free, hyaline, acute, with entire margins, glabrous. Stamens 3; filaments 4-5 mm long. Anthers 2 mm long, basally 2-lobed. Ovary without a conspicuous apical appendage, glabrous. Styles 2, free to their bases. Distal incomplete florets 4 per spikelet, male, merely underdeveloped, awnless, paleate or epaleate. Distal male florets with 3 stamens.

Fruit. Fruit free from both lemma and palea, broadly obovoid, ventrally compressed (i.e. on the palea side), 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, not grooved, glabrous. Hilum 1 mm long, linear. Embryo 1 mm long.

Abaxial leaf blade epidermis. Leaf anatomical data recorded.

Costal/intercostal zonation conspicuous; the intercostal zones bordering the midrib 12-15 cells wide; epidermis differentiated into long- and short-cells; long-cells different in shape costally and intercostally; long-cells of similar wall thickness costally and intercostally.

Microhairs present.

Crown cells absent. Prickles present; costal and marginal; antrorse; fairly uniform in size and form. Prickle bases paired with a short-cell. Costal prickles along all zones; frequent in their files. Costal prickles not over-arching the intercostal zones; bases of the costal prickles about as long as the width of an intercostal long-cell; barbs of the costal prickles shorter than the bases. Macrohairs absent.

Intercostal long-cells variable in shape; varying in shape within a single intercostal zone (fusiform centrally, rectangular laterally). Mid-intercostal long-cells markedly elongated; fusiform; hexagonal; long-cell walls moderately undulating; the undulations regular; end walls vertical and rounded; the intercostal long-cell walls not conspicuously pitted; outer surfaces of intercostal long-cells not pitted. Papillae absent.

The costal zones all histologically similar; costal short-cells conspicuously in long rows, or occurring sporadically in the files of long-cells as mixtures of solitaries, pairs or short rows. Costal silica bodies present and perfectly developed; throughout the costal zones; horizontal-crenate.

Intercostal short-cells absent; silica bodies absent.

Stomata common; present in all the intercostal zones; restricted in distribution within intercostal zones; arranged in definite rows. Stomatal rows in the widest intercostal zones 2-4. Stomata 51-57-63 m long. Subsidiaries dome-shaped to parallel-sided. The domes low.

Photosynthetic pathway and related features. C3. XyMS+.

Transverse section of the leaf blade. Lamina mid-zone in transverse section open; more or less flat. Width of lamina across a primary vascular bundle 138-150 m. Lamina mid-zone in transverse section exhibiting adaxial ribs only. Adaxial furrows slight; wide. Adaxial furrows between all the vascular bundles. Adaxial ribs more or less constant in size; round topped; opposite all vascular bundles. Vascular bundles in the mid-lamina 12-15; 1 per rib. Abaxial furrows absent.

Midrib not pronounced in outline, or pronounced in outline; not adaxially prominent, or adaxially raised and pointed; not prominent abaxially, or prominent abaxially; tissue layout similar to that of other primary vascular bundles. The median vascular bundle with a protoxylem cavity; with an enlarged protoxylem vessel; with sclerosed phloem. Midrib without colourless tissue adaxially; without thin-walled sclerenchymatous cells adaxially; without lacunae. The lamina symmetrical on either side of the midrib.

Mesophyll chlorenchyma non-radiate; tightly packed. Mesophyll without lacunae; without any obvious adaxial palisade; without `circular cells'; not traversed by columns of colourless cells; without arm cells; without fusoids. Bulliforms absent as discrete groups but the epidermis extensively bulliform. Abaxial epidermis of bulliform-like epidermal cells. Abaxial epidermal cell walls not thickened. The cells regular in shape, rounded.

The major vascular bundles interspersed with minor bundles; outlines of primary vascular bundles more or less circular; primary vascular bundles centrally situated. Primary lateral vascular bundles with adaxial sclerenchyma; with abaxial sclerenchyma; the adaxial sclerenchyma forming girders; the abaxial sclerenchyma forming girders; the combined girders nowhere forming `figures'. Outlines of lower order vascular bundles more or less circular. Lower order vascular bundles centrally situated; without adaxial sclerenchyma; without abaxial sclerenchyma; the smallest vascular bundles lacking sclerenchyma. The adaxial sclerenchyma of the mid-lamina all associated with vascular bundles.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: H.S.Meyer 3: 0.5 km SW. of Bradford (Vic.); 12.x.1978; Fl.; CANB, MEL - R.Pullen 1990: Near Brungle Ck. bridge on Tumut-Wee Jasper Rd. (N.S.W.); 22.xi.1959; Fr.; CANB - K.Paijmans 3761: Causeway & dry saltlake 10 km S. of Dumbleyung (W.A.); 16.ix.1980; Fl.; CANB, PERTH - K.Paijmans 3825: edge of Dalara lake, 5 km W. of Moora (W.A.); 20.ix.1980; Fl.; CANB, PERTH - Anderson & Harasymiw 28: Goodnight Is, Crookhaven R. (N.S.W.); 10.xi.1976; Fr.; CANB - C.R.Alcock 2517: Stone Res. Sec. 78, Hd of Wanilla, on Rd., NS. boundary hd of Louth (S.A.); 24.x.1968; Fl.; ADW, CANB - A.C.Beahglehole 5416: main settlement, Lord Howe Is. (N.S.W.); 18.xi.1962; Fr.; CANB, MEL - W.R.Wallace s.n. CANB 190320: Kings Park, Perth (W.A.); 4.ix.1926; Fl.; CANB - I.B.Wilson 651: Mt. Gambier (S.A.); 11.xi.1966; Fl.; AD, CANB - J.S.Whinray 1873: Flinders Is. (Tas.); 9.xi.1968; fl.; CANB - R.D.Pearce 242: Sandgrove Railway siding on track to Milang (S.A.); 22.ix.1982; Fl; ADW, CANB - W.L.Ashbumer & C.M.Shankly Ashbumer 79: Snobs Ck. fish hatchery, 4.5 km SW. of Eildon (Vic.); Fl; 17.xi.1984; BRI, CANB, MEL - H.A.Dilleward 1015 & R.Dowling, 10 km W. of Stanthorpe (Qld.); 10.x.1984; Fr,; BRI, CANB - D.W.R.Stewart s.n. CANB 190321: Crawley (W.A.); 11.ix.1926; Fl.; CANB.

Material examined anatomically: Qld.: 10 km W. of Stanthorpe, 10.x.1984 H.A.Dilleward 1015 & R.Dowling (BRI) (CANB).

Classification. Poodae; Poeae.

References. Illustrations: briza02.gif briza40.gif briza46.gif briza47.gif briza48.gif

Cite this publication as:
C.M. Weiller, M.J. Henwood, J. Lenz and L. Watson (1995 onwards). `Pooideae (Poaceae) in Australia - Descriptions and Illustrations'. URL http://muse.bio.cornell.edu/delta/
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993) should also be cited.

References and Acknowledgements