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BRIZA L. Quakinggrass
Plants hermaphroditic, caespitose annual. Culms erect or ascending or decumbent, glabrous; internodes
hollow, terete. Leaves cauline, not distichous; sheaths terete, margins open; auricles absent; ligules
membranous; blades flat, not attenuate, lax. Panicles open, primary branch spreading (branches capillary).
Spikelet solitary (drooping), laterally compressed, disarticulation above glumes, awnless,
pedicellate; florets 4-16, reduced floret at apex, callus glabrous; glumes 2, 3-9-veined, nearly
equal (thin, chartaceous), shorter than first floret, (at divergent angle from rachilla), glabrous, apex obtuse
or rounded, awnless; lemmas 3-9-veined (nearly at right angle to rachilla axis), chartaceous, glabrous,
apex obtuse or rounded, awnless; paleas 2-veined, awnless, glabrous. Stamens 3; anthers light brown.
Caryopses dorsiventrally compressed. Base chromosome number x=7.
A genus of about 15 species adapted to temperate climates of the Americas. The species are commonly
weedy and most occur in open habitats on dry to moist soils.
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