keys to the vascular plants of east texas - Botanical Research ...

854 POACEAE/BRIZA
BRIZA L. QUAKING GRASS, SHAKING GRASS
Annuals (our species); ligule an unfringed membrane; leaf blades flat; inflorescences open
panicles of awnless drooping spikelets on long pedicels; spikelets usually with 3–14(–20) florets,
the florets crowded and widely spreading; disarticulation above glumes and between florets;
lemmas usually broader than long, rounded apically; anthers 3.
AA C3 genus of ca. 20 species (Snow ined.) of temperate Eurasia and South America, including
weeds as well as ornamentals cultivated for their showy inflorescences (e.g., B. media L., a Eurasian
species with the interesting common names DODDERING-DILLIES and JIGGLE-JOGGLES, presumably
in reference to the delicate, mobile/trembling spikelets). The group appears monophyletic
and is characterized by dorsiventrally compressed, often globose and inflated
spikelets (Bayón 1998). Some authorities (e.g., Nicora & Rúgolo 1981; Bayón 1998) recognize the
Briza complex as having up to five segregate genera. (Greek: brizein, to nod—Snow ined.; apparently
in reference to the often nodding spikelets) (subfamily Pooideae, tribe Poeae)
REFERENCES: Nicora & Rúgolo 1981; Tucker 1996; Bayón 1998; Mejía-Saulés & Bisby 2000; Snow
ined.
1. Spikelets large, mostly (10–)12–25 mm long; inflorescences usually with only 1–6(–12 or
more) spikelets; species rare in East TX _________________________________________________ B. maxima
1. Spikelets small, usually 2–6 mm long; inflorescences with many spikelets; species widespread
and abundant in East TX _____________________________________________________________ B. minor
Briza maxima L., (largest), BIG QUAKING GRASS, GREATER QUAKING GRASS. Plant to ca. 60(–80) cm
tall, glabrous or leaf blades minutely scabrous; ligule usually 2–7 mm long; leaf blades 2–8 mm
wide; spikelets on long, slender, drooping pedicels, (10–)12–25 mm long, 8–12 mm wide, not
markedly tapered, with 7–14(–20) florets; larger lemmas 7–9 mm long. Introduced as a garden
ornamental; included based on citation for Pineywoods by Hatch et al. (1990) and Hatch (2002);
however, we have seen no TX material; no county distribution map is provided; also reported
for Gulf Prairies and Marshes (Hatch et al. 1990) and Cross Timbers and Prairies (Hignight et al.
1988); se U.S. from VA s to FL w to TX, scattered elsewhere in the U.S. (e.g., CA and OR) and s
Canada. Apr–May. Native of the Mediterranean region. I
Briza minor L., (smaller), LITTLE QUAKING GRASS, LESSER QUAKING GRASS. Plant to 7.5–50(–80) cm
tall, glabrous or nearly so; ligule ca. 4–10(–13) mm long; leaf blades 2–8(–10) mm wide; spikelets
pendulous on long, usually kinked pedicels, 2–6 mm long, ca. 2–6 mm wide, often almost triangular
in shape, about as wide as long, markedly tapered toward apex, usually with 3–8 florets
(rarely more); lemmas 1.5–2 mm long. Open areas in woods, fields, disturbed places, sandy areas;
widespread throughout East TX; also known from n Gulf Prairies and Marshes and Tarrant
(BRIT) and Burnet (Turner et al. 2003) cos. in the Cross Timbers and Prairies; e U.S. from VT and
FL w to MO and TX, also CA, ID, and sw Canada (B.C.). Mostly Apr–May(–Jun). Native of the
Mediterranean region. Reported to contain cyanide (Burlage 1968). � I
BROMUS L. BROME GRASS, CHESS
Plants annual or perennial; leaf sheaths closed except at summit; ligule a membrane, often
prominent; inflorescence a usually � 1-sided (barely so in B. hordeaceus) panicle or infrequently
a raceme; spikelets pedicelled, with 4–numerous florets, disarticulating above glumes
and between the florets; glumes 2, 1–9-veined; lemmas 5–13-veined, 2-toothed at apex (inconspicuously
in B. catharticus), usually awned, with awn arising between the teeth, or awnless;
paleas present, without awns.
AA taxonomically complex C3 genus of ca. 150 species (Tucker 1996; Planchuelo & Peterson
2000) of temperate and cool regions and tropical mountains. There is, however, disagreement
about the number of taxa, with authorities recognizing anywhere from 100–400 species ( Pavlick