Family |
Poaceae
Briza maxima
L.
Briza maxima L.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. XXXI nº 1; 1966)
Life-form & habit: Annual grass with solitary or tufted culms, erect or ascending, 10–80 cm tall, glabrous.
Leaves: Sheaths glabrous; ligule up to 5 mm; blades scabrous on the exterior.
Inflorescence & flowers: Panicle long-pedunculate, usually simple and often nodding; branches solitary or in pairs, flexuous and often pendulous, each typically bearing a single spikelet. Spikelets laterally compressed, ovate to ovate-oblong, slightly cordate at base, 10–29 × 7–14 mm, with 5–20 regularly distichous and imbricate florets.
Glumes: Oval, navicular, often tinged purplish-brown; upper glume slightly longer and broader, ~6 mm.
Lemmas: Oval-orbicular, rounded on the back, papery with a very broad scarious margin, glabrous or slightly pubescent.
Phenology: Flowers from March to June.
Habitat & elevation: Woodlands and pastures.
Lebanese distribution: Ct. Khaldé, Rmeilé near Saïda, Beirut, Batroun, Kaftine, Tripoli; Mi. Below Beit Méri, Bikfaya, Harissa; Mm. ‘Aïn Zehalta, Mayrouba; Sud. Qala‘at ech-Choukif
Native range: Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Tunisia, Türkey, Türkey-in-Europe. (KEW)
Introduced into: Alberta, Amur, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Austria, Baltic States, Bermuda, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, California, Cape Provinces, Chatham Is., Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Colombia, Colorado, Czechia-Slovakia, Ecuador, Egypt, Florida, Free State, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hawaii, Honduras, Illinois, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Juan Fernández Is., Kenya, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Marquesas, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Norfolk Is., North European Russia, Northern Provinces, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Primorye, Queensland, Québec, Réunion, South Australia, South European Russia, Sri Lanka, Tasmania, Transcaucasus, Uruguay, Vermont, Victoria, Western Australia, Wisconsin, Zimbabwe. (KEW)