Relatives
Bromopsis arctica (Shear.) Holub. - Arctic brome.
Taxonomic position.
Family Poaceae Barnhart., genus Bromopsis Fourr.Synonyms.
Bromus arcticus Shear., Bromus pumpellianus var. arcticus (Shear.) Porsild., Bromus inermis subsp. pumpellianus var. arcticus (Shear.) Wagnon., Zerna arctica (Shear.)Tzvel., Zerna pumpelliana subsp. arctica (Shear.) Tzvel., Bromopsis pumpelliana subsp. arctica (Shear.) Tzvel.Biology and morphology.
Perennial plant, robust, with long rhizomes. Root system is well-developed. Stems erect, 30-40 cm tall, glabrous, leafy, with 3-4 nodes. Leaf blades up to 12 mm wide, glabrous or pubescent lower leaves. Ligule very short (1 mm). Panicle-like inflorescence up to 20 cm long; branches with minute spikes. Spikelets 1.2-4.0 cm long, purple, with 3-12 flowers. Lemmas are pubescent, with awns up to 6 mm long. Seeds 1.4-1.9 cm long, 2.0-2.2 cm wide. Blossoms in June; seeds ripen in August. Cross-pollinated by wind. 2n = 28, 42.Distribution.
Eastern Siberia and the Far East.Ecology.
Mesophyte; adapted to temperate regions. Occurs in wet meadows, on slopes, and along rivers on sands and stones.Utilization and economic value.
Valuable forage and pasture species for areas with severe winters. Very cold-resistant and frost-resistant. Resistant to early fall and late spring frosts. Does not tolerate shade. Can be used for hay, haylage. Good palatability. Improves soils structure and fertilization. Used for erosion control. Cultivated in Siberia.Literature cited:
Brezhnev D.D., Korovina O.N. 1980. Wild relatives of the cultivated plants of flora of the USSR. - L.: Kolos, 376 pp. (in Russian).Harkevich S.S., ed. 1985. Vascular Plants of the Soviet Far East. Vol. 1. Saint Petersburg: Nauka, 390 p. (in Russian).
Harkevich S.S., ed. 1982. Wild fodder grasses of Fast East. Moscow: Nauka, 40 pp. (in Russian).
Rozhevitz P.U., Shishkin V.K., eds. 1937. Flora of the USSR. Vol. 2. M.-L.: USSR, 778 pp. (in Russian).
Tolmachev A.I., ed. 1964. Arctic flora of the USSR. Vol. 2. M.-L.: Nauka, 273 p. (in Russian).
Tzvelev N.N. 1976. Poaceae USSR. L.: Nauka, 788 pp. (in Russian).