Briza minor L.

little quaking grass


Info

Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus etymology: Briza = "nod" [Greek] refering to the drooping florets
Species etymology: minor = "lesser" [Latin] refering to the small size
Photosynthetic type: C3 (cool season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1838

Map

 Distribution of Briza minor in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Briza minor in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Briza minor Inflorescence

Spikelets

Briza minor Spikelets
Briza minor Spikelets
Briza minor Spikelets

Description

Plants annual. Culms 7.5-80 cm. Leaves evenly distributed; sheaths 1/2-1/4 the length of the internodes, open to near the base, margins hyaline distally; ligules 4-13 mm, sides sometimes decurrent, margins at the base sometimes encasing the culms, truncate to acute; blades 5.5-12 cm long, 1-8(10) mm wide, slightly scabrous. Panicles (2)4-14(18) cm long, to 11 cm wide; pedicels 4-12 mm. Spikelets (2)3-4(7) mm, triangular to oval, with 4-7(13) florets. Lower glumes 2-2.5 mm; upper glumes 2-3.5 mm; lowermost lemmas 1.6-2 mm, frequently irregular in shape, becoming hyaline distally, glabrous, sometimes minutely scurfy, veins indistinct; paleas about 1.5 mm, often minutely scurfy; anthers 0.4-0.5 mm. Caryopses 0.8-1 mm, ovoid. 2n = 10, 14.
(Description source: Barkworth, M.E., Capels, K.M. & Long, S. (eds.) 1993. Flora of North America, north of Mexico. Volume 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, Part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. 911 pp. http://floranorthamerica.org/Briza_minor )

Annuals; culms slender, up to 75 cm tall. Sheaths loose, striate, nodes glabrous, with a few scattered hairs below, ca. 5 cm long; ligule membranous, ca. 3 mm long; blades linear, up to 7.5 cm long, up to 4 mm wide, margins minutely scaberulous, base subcordate. Inflorescence a loose panicle up to 10 cm long, up to 8 cm wide, the branches ascending to erect, filiform, ultimate ones apparently dichotomously branched, each ending in a drooping spikelet; spikelets many-flowered, laterally compressed; first glume at right angles to rachilla, boatshaped, ca. 2.4 mm long, median portion 3- nerved, margins scarious, apex rounded; second glume ca. 2.4 mm long; first lemma ca. 1.5 mm long, base cordate, widely clasping; palea 2-nerved, winged, nerves ciliate. Caryopsis brown, boat-shaped, pointed, ca. 1 mm long. [2n = 10, 14.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )