Bromus rigidus Roth, Bot. Mag. (Roem. & Usteri) 10: 21 (1790).

Anisanta rigida (Roth) Hyl., Uppsala Univ. Årsskr. 7: 32 (1945). T: not designated but check Matthei, O (1986) El Genero Bromus (Poaceae) in Chile. for types

Reproductive organization. Incomplete spikelets absent.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Incomplete florets present, distal to the hermaphrodite florets.

Abaxial leaf blade epidermis. Leaf anatomical data recorded.

Costal/intercostal zonation conspicuous; epidermis differentiated into long- and short-cells; long-cells similar in shape costally and intercostally; long-cells of similar wall thickness costally and intercostally.

Microhairs absent.

Crown cells absent. Prickles present; intercostal and marginal; antrorse and retrorse; fairly uniform in size and form. Prickle bases not paired with a short-cell. Intercostal prickles in the astomatal files. Bases of the intercostal prickles longer than the width of an intercostal long-cell; about as long as the stomata to longer than the stomata; barbs of the intercostal prickles more than twice as long as the bases. Macrohairs present; intercostal; intergraded with long prickles; unicellular; robust; with thickened walls; sparse but frequent; 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. Mid-intercostal long-cells markedly elongated; fusiform; inflated; long-cell walls straight; end walls vertical, or angled. Papillae absent.

The costal zones all histologically similar.

Intercostal short-cells absent; 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 4; evenly dispersed. Stomata 54-55-57 m long; with guard-cells overlapped by the interstomatals. Subsidiaries dome-shaped. The domes of medium height.

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. Width of lamina across a primary vascular bundle 162 m. Lamina mid-zone in transverse section with ribs both adaxially and abaxially. Adaxial furrows slight; wide. Adaxial furrows between all the vascular bundles. Adaxial ribs irregular in size; round topped; opposite all vascular bundles. Vascular bundles in the mid-lamina 18; 1 per rib. Abaxial furrows present between the vascular bundles. Abaxial ribs opposite all the vascular bundles; smaller than adaxial ribs.

Midrib pronounced in outline; adaxially raised and rounded; 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; 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. 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; the combined girders forming I's. 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 strands; the smallest vascular bundles lacking sclerenchyma. The adaxial sclerenchyma of the mid-lamina all associated with vascular bundles.

Vouchers. Material examined anatomically: Carrie Is. WA ?Keighery.

Classification. Triticodae; Bromeae.

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