Bromus catharticus Vahl, Symb. Bot. 2: 22 (1791).

Ceratochloa cathartica (Vahl) Herter, Revista Sudamer. Bot. 6: 144 (1940). T: J.Dombey s.n.: Lima, Peru (as "Gramen bromoides catharticum vulgo Guilno"), lecto: P-JU; iso: P.
Festuca unioloides Willd., Hort. Berl. 3: t. 3 (1803); Ceratochloa unioloides (Willd.) P.Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 75, 164, expl. t. 11, t. 15, fig. 7 (1812); Bromus unioloides Kunth, in Humboldt et al., Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 151 (1816).
Bromus willdenowii Kunth, Révis. Gramin. 134 (1829).
Ceratochloa haenkeana J.Presl, Rel. Haenk. 1: 285 (1830); Bromus haenkeanus (J.Presl) Kunth, Révis. Gramin. 1: Suppl. 38 (1830); Ceratochloa haenkeana J.Presl. var. patens Nees, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol Nat. Cur. 19: Suppl. 1: 36 (1841) nom. nud.; Ceratochloa haenkeana J.Presl. var. subspicata Nees, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol Nat. Cur. 19: Suppl. 1: 36 (1841) nom. nud.
Bromus strictus Brongn., in Duperrey, Voy. Monde 2(2): 45 (1831)

Vegetative form. Perennial, caespitose. Leaves scattered along the culms. Culms 50-122 cm high (some culms are relatively robust, their bases reaching c. 10 mm in diameter), unbranched above, 3-4 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous (darkly pigmented). Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous, terete. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths keeled, terete, sparsely to densely pilose, commonly the same colour as the lamina or purple (rarely), with margins connate, in lower 2/3s, hyaline to membranous (narrow, confined to the free portions), smooth or ciliate. Ligule 4.5-5 mm long, hyaline, smooth, acute, entire to lacerate. Collar glabrous, or pilose. Leaf blades flat, linear, 105-220(-450) mm long, 4-10 mm wide; adaxially pilose (indumentum becoming denser acropetally); abaxially scabrous (restricted to veins, often with a narrow band of sparse pilose trichomes restricted to a few marginal veins); with margins scabrous, apices acuminose; conduplicate in bud.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Incomplete spikelets absent. Inflorescence of cleistogamous spikelets, or chasmogamous spikelets (Tutin 1981).

Inflorescence. Inflorescence a panicle, open. Main inflorescence axis 290-485(-655) mm long. Peduncles 115-275 mm long, glabrous. Rachides 185-200(-370) mm long, subterete, glabrous or scabrous. Rachis angles scabrous. Primary inflorescence branches spreading to divaricate (often drooping), opposite or verticillate, with spikelets inserted at the base. Spikelets 0-2 per node. Spikelets 1-3 on a typical ultimate inflorescence branch, opposite or alternate, on first order branches or on second order branches, solitary or grouped (sometimes when 2 or 3 arise from a single node), 2(-3) per group, spreading to divaricate (sometimes drooping).

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 15-37 mm long, strongly laterally compressed, ovate or elliptic (becoming obovate with age), disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating above the glumes. Pedicels 3.5-35 mm long. Glumes two per spikelet, free, similar, subequal, lateral to the rachis. Lower glume about c. 3/4s the length of the upper glume, narrowly oblong to narrowly ovate, 8-12.5 mm long, 1.25-1.5 mm wide, chartaceous, keeled, acuminate to acute, muticous, margin hyaline, margin smooth; 8-9 veined, veins obscure, acropetally midvein scabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Upper glume narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 9-13.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, chartaceous, keeled, acuminate to acute, muticous, margin hyaline, margin smooth; 9-11 veined, veins obscure, midvein scabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Incomplete florets present, distal to the hermaphrodite florets. Hermaphrodite florets (3-)4-8(-11) per spikelet. Rachilla disarticulating between the florets, disarticulating directly below the florets, straight (but nodes acroptally expanded), scabrous or puberulous, elongated between all florets, apically prolonged. Callus present, blunt, 0.5 mm long, dorsally glabrous and puberulous (on the margins), hairs 0.1 mm long. Lemma similar in firmness to the glumes (rarely suffused with purple), narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 13-19 mm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, chartaceous, keeled, acuminate to acute, entire or emarginate (minutely), 0 -lobed or 2 -lobed, muticous to mucronate or awned (shortly). Lemma margins smooth. Lemma 11-13 veined. Lemma veins slightly confluent towards the apex, obscure, not connected by transverse veins or connected by obscure transverse veins, papillose to scabrous, with the hairs on all the veins (although less obvious on lateral and marginal veins), with the hairs extending the length of the veins; intercostal regions papillose to scabrous, the hairs over the entire dorsal surface. Awns 1, median. Median awn shorter than the body of the lemmas, 0-2.75 mm long, 1 veined, straight, scabrous. Palea fully developed, 1/2 the length of the lemmas, thinner than the lemmas to similar in texture to the lemmas, tightly clasped by the lemmas, narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 7-10 mm long, 0.75-1.5 mm wide, membranous to chartaceous, 2-keeled, keels winged, acute, entire or apically notched; 2 veined, veins scabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Lodicules 2, free, hyaline, obtuse, with entire margins, glabrous. Stamens 3; filaments 1 mm long. Anthers 0.75 mm long or 2-4 mm long, basally 2-lobed. Ovary with a conspicuous apical appendage, pilose, with the hairs only at the apex. Styles 2, free to their bases. Distal incomplete florets 2-3 per spikelet, neuter, merely underdeveloped, awnless.

Fruit. Fruit weakly adhering to lemma and adhering to palea (strongly), elliptical to ovoid, strongly laterally compressed (producing a longitudinal groove), 6.5-9 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, longitudinally grooved, pilose, with dense hairs, the hairs confined to a terminal tuft. Hilum 5 mm long, linear.

Abaxial leaf blade epidermis. Leaf anatomical data recorded.

Costal/intercostal zonation conspicuous; the intercostal zones bordering the midrib 12-25 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 absent.

Crown cells absent. Prickles present; intercostal, costal, and marginal, or costal and marginal (only); antrorse and retrorse; variable in size and form; of two types (intercostally as long prickles or macrohairs, and as hooks along the margins and costal zones). Prickle bases paired with a short-cell (costally). Costal prickles along all zones; frequent in their files. Bases of the costal prickles longer than the width of an intercostal long-cell; barbs of the costal prickles shorter than the bases. Intercostal prickles in the astomatal files (and usually present in the marginal intercostal zones only). Bases of the intercostal prickles longer than the width of an intercostal long-cell; about as long as the stomata; barbs of the intercostal prickles more than twice as long as the bases. Macrohairs present; outer intercostal; intergraded with long prickles; unicellular; robust; with thickened walls; sparse but frequent, or infrequent and irregularly dispersed; more than twice as long as an intercostal long-cell. Macrohair bases one-celled; attached at cuticle only; uniform in mode of insertion.

Intercostal long-cells fairly constant in shape (the interstomatal long-cells shorter). Mid-intercostal long-cells markedly elongated; fusiform; inflated; long-cell walls straight; the intercostal long-cell walls not conspicuously pitted. Papillae absent.

The costal zones all histologically similar; costal short-cells conspicuously in long rows. Costal silica bodies present and perfectly developed; throughout the costal zones; horizontal-crenate and horizontal-smooth.

Intercostal short-cells infrequent, or absent; when present, mid-intercostal only; solitary. Unsilicified intercostal short-cells square; walls straight. Intercostal silica bodies absent.

Stomata common; present in all the intercostal zones; distributed throughout the intercostal zones; arranged in definite rows. Stomatal rows in the widest intercostal zones 3-5; evenly dispersed. Stomata 42-56.5-69 m long; with guard-cells overlapped by the interstomatals. Subsidiaries dome-shaped to parallel-sided. The domes low.

Photosynthetic pathway and related features. C3. XyMS+. The PBS sheaths of the primary lateral vascular bundles interrupted. Mestome sheath single; complete.

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 126-182.6-240 m. Lamina mid-zone in transverse section with ribs both adaxially and abaxially; the adaxial and abaxial ribs opposite one another. Adaxial furrows slight; wide. Adaxial furrows between all the vascular bundles. Adaxial ribs irregular in size; round topped; opposite all vascular bundles, or opposite major vascular bundles only. Vascular bundles in the mid-lamina 16-34; 1 per rib. Abaxial furrows present between the vascular bundles. Abaxial ribs opposite all the vascular bundles, or opposite major vascular bundles only; similar in size to the adaxial ribs.

Midrib pronounced in outline; adaxially raised and rounded, or not adaxially prominent; prominent abaxially; tissue layout similar to that of other primary vascular bundles. Vascular bundles in the mid-lamina region of the midrib 1. The median vascular bundle with a protoxylem cavity; with an enlarged protoxylem vessel; with sclerosed phloem. Midrib without colourless tissue adaxially (but the adaxial linking sclerenchyma contains large, relatively thin-walled cells); 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 irregular in shape.

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. Outlines of lower order vascular bundles more or less circular. Lower order vascular bundles centrally situated; with adaxial sclerenchyma, or without adaxial sclerenchyma; with abaxial sclerenchyma, or without abaxial sclerenchyma; the adaxial sclerenchyma when present, forming strands, or forming girders; the abaxial sclerenchyma when present, forming girders; the smallest vascular bundles lacking sclerenchyma. The adaxial sclerenchyma of the mid-lamina all associated with vascular bundles.

Cytology. 2n = 42.

Common name. Prairie Grass.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: P.W.Michael & M.Gray s.n. CANB 344406: Flemington sale yards, Sydney (N.S.W.); 14.iv.1969; Fl.; CANB - P.W.Michael & M.Gray s.n. CANB 344405: Flemington sale yards, Sydney (N.S.W.); 14.iv.1969; Fr.; CANB - R.Pullen 4184: C.S.I.R.O. grounds, E slope of Black Mtn (A.C.T.); 15.xi.1966; Fl., Fr.; BAA, CANB - C.E.Hubbard 4065: Bulimba, Brisbane (Qld.); 14.ix.1930; Fr.; CANB, K - C.E.Hubbard 3509: Toowoomba, Darling Downs (Qld.); 2.vii.1930; Fr.; CANB, K - C.E.Hubbard 8627: Domain, Brisbane (Qld.); 25.viii.1930; Fl.; CANB, K - C.E.Hubbard 4324: Kangaroo Pt., Brisbane (Qld.); 4.x.1930; Fr.; CANB, K - E.D'Arcy 706: C.S.I.R.O. grounds, Canberra (A.C.T.); 20.xi.1968; Fr.; CANB - C.W.E.Moore 4258: 56 km NW. of Cobar on the Louth Rd. (N.S.W.); 26.ix.1966; Fl.; CANB - C.W.E.Moore 6657: 10 km S. of Louth (N.S.W.); 19.ix.1974; Fl., Fr.; CANB - G.J.Keighery 5767: MOOre street, Bunbury (W.A.); 27.xii.1982; Fr.; CANB, PERTH - Holgate 357, A.Slee & T.Kaye: Yathong NR. via Mt. Hope (N.S.W.); 18.ix.1985; Fl.; CANB - J.H.Ross 2582 & M.G.Corrick : Cranbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens Annex (Vic.); 15.ix.1981; Fl.; CANB, MEL.

Material examined anatomically: Holgate 357, A.Slee & T.Kaye NSW CANB; C.E.Hubbard 4065 Qld CANB; C.E.Hubbard 4324 Qld CANB; Moore 4258.

Notes. Economic importance: Occasionally cultivated as a fodder crop in southern Europe (Tutin 1980), but of no economic value in Australia.

Classification. Individuals are said to be either chasmogomous or cleistogamous (Tutin 1980), the anthers of the latter being shorter (c. 0.75 mm in the case of Australian material) than those of the former.

References. Illustrations: bromus01.gif bromus03.gif bromus10.gif bromus40.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