About Bromus kalmii A.Gray
Bromus kalmii A.Gray is a perennial grass. It produces solitary or slightly tufted culms that reach 0.4–1.2 m (1 ft 4 in – 3 ft 11 in) in height, with pubescent texture just below the nodes. This species typically has three to five leaf blades, and occasionally six. Firm and scabrous, the leaf blades are either pubescent or glabrous, measuring 7–17 cm (2.8–6.7 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) wide. Leaf sheaths are glabrous or sometimes shaggy, mostly shorter than the internodes, and each bears a V-shaped cleft. The ligule is typically 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The plant produces a narrow, crowded panicle 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long. The lower branches of the panicle are very slender, and each bears one or two spikelets. Spikelets hold five to eleven flowers, and measure 1.4–2.6 cm (0.55–1.02 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. Both glumes have short, adpressed hairs; the lower glume is three-nerved, and the upper glume is five-nerved. Densely hairy lemmas are oblong to elliptical in shape, and bear straight awns 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The oblong and flat palea is slightly shorter than the glume. Anthers are approximately 2 mm (0.079 in) long. This grass flowers from July through August. It grows in dry or moist open areas or thickets, especially on calcareous soils.
