Relatives
Bromopsis Karavajevii (Tzvelev) Czer. - Brome Karavajevii.
Taxonomic position.
Family Poaceae Barnhart., genus Bromopsis Fourr.Synonyms.
Bromus sibiricus var. villosus Drob., B. substepposus Karavajev, Zerna pumpelliana subsp. Karavajevii Tzvel., Bromopsis pumpelliana subsp. Karavajevii (Tzvelev) Tzvelev.Biology and morphology.
Perennial plant, robust, pubescent, with long rhizomes. Root system is well-developed. Stems erect, 6-100 cm tall, pubescent at the nodes. Leaf sheathes and leaf blades densely pubescent. Ligule very short (1 mm), truncate. No auricles. Panicle-like inflorescence oblong, sometimes compact, with erect branches, half-verticillate. Spikelets 1.5-2.5 cm long, brown or sometimes violet. Lemma with awns, 2-4 mm long, pubescent along ridges. Glumes glabrous or, rarely, pubescent. Blossoms in June; seeds ripen in July. Cross-pollinated by wind. 2n = ?.Distribution.
Endemic species of Eastern Siberia (Russia).Ecology.
Meso-xerophyte, adapted to temperate regions. Plant of Yakutia steppes. Occurs in dry meadows, on slopes, among bushes, and in forests up to the middle mountain zone. Resistant to drought; very cold-resistant and frost-resistant. Resistant to early fall and late spring frosts. Does well in all main soil types of forest and steppe zones excluding acidic, salty and heavy soils. Does not tolerate shade.Utilization and economic value.
Good forage and pasture species for steppe zones with severe winters. Can be used for hay, haylage. Good palatability. Improves soils structure and fertilization. Used for erosion control. Can be used as a lawn grass, too.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, 240 pp. (in Russian).
Malyshev L.I., Peshkova G.A., eds. 1990. Flora of Siberia. Vol. 2. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 361 pp. (in Russian).
Malyshev L.I., Peshkova G.A., eds. 1979. Flora of Central Siberia. Vol. 1. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 536 pp. (in Russian).
Rodjevitz P.U., Schischkin V.K., eds. 1937. Flora of the USSR. Vol. 2. M.-L.: USSR, 778 pp. (in Russian).
Tzvelev N.N. 1976. Poaceae USSR. L.: Nauka, 788 pp. (in Russian).