Leon E. Pavlick and Laurel K. Anderton

Plants annual, biennial, or perennial; loosely cespitose. Culms 45–120(180) cm tall, usually less than 3 mm thick, erect. Sheathsmostly glabrous or retrorsely soft pilose, throats usually hairy; auricles sometimes present on the lower leaves; ligules 1–3.5(4) mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, acute to obtuse, lacerate or erose; blades 8–30 cm long, 1–12 mm wide, flat or becoming involute, glabrous or sparsely pilose to pubescent on 1 or both surfaces. Panicles 5–40 cm, lax, open or erect; lower branches usually shorter than 10 cm, 1–4 per node, ascending to strongly divergent or reflexed, with 1–4 spikelets variously distributed. Spikelets20–40(53) mm, shorter than at least some pedicels and branches, elliptic to lanceolate, strongly laterally compressed, not crowded or overlapping, sometimes purplish, with 4–11 florets. Glumes glabrous or pubescent; lower glumes 7–11 mm, 3–7(9)-veined; upper glumes 9–13 mm, shorter than the lowest lemma, 5–9(11)-veined; lemmas 10–17(22) mm, lanceolate, laterally compressed, strongly keeled distally, usually more or less uniformly pubescent or pubescent on the margins only, sometimes glabrous or scabrous, 7–9-veined, veins usually not raised or riblike, apices entire or with acute teeth shorter than 1 mm; awns 4–17 mm, sometimes slightly geniculate; anthers 1–6 mm. 2n = 28, 42, 56.

 

Bromus carinatus is native from British Columbia to Saskatchewan and south to Mexico. It has been introduced to various more eastern locations, and to the southern Yukon Territory. The two varieties recognized here are sometimes recognized as species.

Leon E. Pavlick and Laurel K. Anderton

Plants annual or biennial. Culms 50–100 cm tall, usually less than 3 mm thick. Sheaths mostly glabrous or retrorsely soft pilose, throats usually hairy; auriclesabsent; ligules 1–3(4) mm, usually glabrous, obtuse, lacerate or erose; blades 10–30 cm long, 3–6 mm wide, flat, usually sparsely pilose on both surfaces, sometimes glabrous. Panicles 15–40 cm, lax, open; lower branches usually shorter than 10 cm, 2–4 per node, ascending to strongly divergent or reflexed. Spikelets with 6–11 florets. Glumes sometimes pubescent; lower glumes 8–10 mm, 3(5)-veined; upper glumes 9.5–12 mm, 5(7)-veined; lemmas 12–16 mm, strongly keeled distally, usually more or less uniformly pubescent, sometimes scabrous, 7-veined; awns 8–17 mm, sometimes slightly geniculate; anthers 1–5 mm. 2n = 28, 56.

Bromus carinatus var. carinatus is primarily coastal and grows in shrublands, grasslands, meadows, and openings in chaparral and oak and yellow pine woodlands. It ranges from southern British Columbia through Washington, Oregon, and California to Baja California, Mexico, and extends eastward through Arizona to New Mexico.

30 Aug 2007: Changes to description based on UTC 247610, collected by John Anderson.

Bromus carinatus var. carinatus intergrades with var. marginatus, which tends to grow at higher elevations and extends further inland.