Bromus

Bromus is a genus of grasses (Poaceae), which includes about 100 annual or perennial species, distributed in temperate regions throughout the world. Several species of the genus are good winter-spring foragers.

Description

Bromus includes mesothermal plants, with leaves with a closed sheath, a membranous ligule, and flat or folded blades. It has pedicelate spikelets, multiflorous, cylindrical or laterally compressed, 10 to 47 mm long. The rachilla is articulated above the glumes and between the anthecia: the glumes are acute, smaller than the spikelet. The lower glume is 1-5 veined, the upper is 3-9 veined. The lemma is keeled or convex, 5-11-veined, with an acute, mutic or awned apex between two teeth. The palea is lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, smaller than the lemma, with eyelash carinae.

The flowers are hermaphroditic, with 3 stamens. The ovary is oblong, with a hairy apex. The stigmas are sessile, feathery, with subapical dorsal insertion. The caryopse is elongated with a ventral groove. The thread is linear and the embryo is small, less than a third of the length of the caryopse, which is generally attached to the palea and is deciduous with its glumelas at maturity.

Applications such as fodder

Application in zootechnics

It is a more appropriate type of forage for cattle. Here are some of the advantages of this fodder. It is a tall, though coarse, forage. Several species of the genus are good winter-spring foragers, this is good because they appear when others are scarce, and animals can feed on them. Regarding nutritional value, they seem to have less energy than ryegrass and an acceptable nitrogenous value, which could equip them with the dactyl.

Application in plant breeding

Within the group of perennials they are divided into two large groups: B. unarmed (perennial and fairly hardy) and Bromus ceratochloa. From the agronomic point of view, the most interesting are those of group B. Ceratochloa. The Bromus catharticus, Bromus sitchensis, Bromus carinatus, and Bromus valdivianus belong to this group, of which the first of them is the most widespread As for its use in meadows, it is good for mowing meadows due to its high size.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carlos Linnaeus and published in Species Plantarum 1: 76–78. 1753. The type species is: Bromus secalinus L.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 7, with somatic chromosome numbers of 2n = 14, 28, 42, 56 and 70, since there are diploid species and a polyploid series. Relatively “very small to large” chromosomes. The nucleoli disappear before metaphase.

Etymology

The name of the genus derives from the Greek bromos = (oats), or from broma = (food).