Flora of New Zealand Series

ripgut brome

Annuals, 20-90 cm, loosely tufted or consisting of a solitary culm. Leaf-sheath with soft, short, spreading hairs; upper sheaths ± glabrous near base. Ligule 1.5-4 mm, denticulate to lacerate. Leaf-blade 4-30 cm × 2-7 mm, with short, ± scattered hairs, scabrid near acute tip. Culm 10-65 cm, erect or ascending, internodes with very short hairs below nodes and below panicle. Panicle 10-28 cm, very lax and nodding; branches spreading, slender, scabrid, tipped by 1-(2) spikelets. Spikelets 5.5-9.5 cm, 5-8-flowered, oblong-lanceolate to later wedge-shaped and gaping, greyish green to purplish. Glumes unequal, very narrow, acuminate, membranous, glabrous, but sparsely scabrid on keels and nerves in upper ½; lower 13-22 mm, 1-(3)-nerved, upper 20-30 mm, 3-(5)-nerved. Lemma 20-35 mm, 7-nerved, rounded, lanceolate, minutely scabrid, tapering to 2 acute to acuminate, hyaline, smooth to finely scabrid lobes 4-5 mm; awn 30-60 mm. Palea c. ⅔ length of lemma, keels sparsely ciliate. Callus with minute hairs. Rachilla 4-6 mm, finely, minutely scabrid. Stamens 2-3; anthers 1-3 mm. Caryopsis 11-13 × 1.5-2.8 mm. Plate 3A.

N.; S.: throughout; St.; K., Ch. Roadsides and waste ground, often in sandy ground.

Naturalised from Mediterranean.

Ripgut brome may injure livestock because the strong, rough awns penetrate the mouth, eyes or intestines.