Purple false brome
Brachypodium distachyon
Synonyms: Brachypodium distachyon var. pubescens, Brachypodium distachyon f. mite, Brachypodium paui f. fontqueri, Zerna distachyos, Festuca breviseta, Festuca tauschii, Brachypodium distachyon var. pumilum, Brachypodium distachyon var. hispidum, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. typicum, Brachypodium distachyon var. pentastachyum, Brachypodium brevisetum, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. multiflorum, Trachynia distachya, Festuca pentastachya, Triticum asperrimum, Brachypodium platystachyum, Brachypodium distachyon var. undulatum, Brachypodium distachyon var. ciliatum, Brachypodium ramosum f. monostachyon, Trachynia distachya var. hispida, Brachypodium distachyon subsp. asperum, Festuca schimperi, Brachypodium distachyon var. brevisetum, Brachypodium distachyon f. platystachyum, Triticum tenue, Brachypodium ciliatum, Festuca rigidoaspera, Brachypodium distachyon var. pentastachyon, Triticum ciliatum var. monostachyon, Brachypodium polystachyum, Brachypodium distachyon f. pentastachyon, Triticum ciliatum var. polystachyum, Brachypodium annuum, Bromus monostachyus, Trachynia beludshistanica, Brachypodium distachyon var. paradoxum, Triticum distertum, Brachypodium rigidum, Brachypodium distachyon subsp. monostachyum, Brachypodium distachyon f. intermedium, Brachypodium distachyon var. elongatum, Trachynia pentastachya, Festuca monostachyos, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. pumilum, Brachypodium distachyon var. subtile, Brachypodium distachyon f. paradoxum, Triticum asperum, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. monostachyon, Brachypodium asperum, Brachypodium distachyon var. multiflorum, Triticum flabellatum, Brachypodium distachyon var. caucasicum, Festuca subtilis, Brachypodium distachyon var. pluriflorum, Brachypodium distachyon f. undulatifolium, Triticum polystachyum, Bromus platystachyus, Triticum monostachyum, Bromus buxbaumii, Brachypodium distachyon subsp. paui, Brachypodium monostachyon, Brachypodium phoenicoides var. brevisetum, Bromus ciliatus, Brachypodium macrostachyum, Brachypodium paui, Festuca distachya var. intermedia, Brachypodium distachyon f. confusum, Brachypodium schimperi, Secale bromoides, Brachypodium geniculatum, Brachypodium distachyon var. neglectum, Festuca distachya var. undulata, Brachypodium distachyon var. velutinum, Bromus paradoxus, Bromus pentastachyos, Brachypodium distachyon var. monostachyon, Agropyron distachyon, Festuca monostachya, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. gussonii, Brachypodium distachyon f. subtile, Brachypodium subtile, Brachypodium distachyon f. multiflorum, Triticum subtile, Triticum distachyon, Brachypodium distachyon var. monostachyum, Brachypodium distachyon var. asperum, Bromus distachyos, Brachypodium distachyon f. brevisetum, Trachynia platystachya, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. platystachyum, Brachypodium distachyon var. platystachyum, Festuca distachya, Brachypodium megastachyum, Brachypodium distachyon var. genuinum, Triticum ciliatum var. distachyon, Triticum schimperi, Triticum brevisetum, Triticum ciliatum, Trachynia rigida, Brachypodium distachyon subvar. asperum, Brachypodium pentastachyon, Brachypodium distachyon f. pseudosubtile, Festuca pseudistachya
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Botanical Description
Brachypodium distachyon, the purple false brome or stiff brome, is a small annual grass in the family Poaceae native to the Mediterranean basin and west Asia, extending from Iberia and North Africa east to Iran. Although ecologically modest as a Mediterranean winter annual of dry rocky slopes, garrigue, fallow fields, and disturbed ground, the species has gained enormous scientific importance in the twenty-first century as the principal small-genome model organism for temperate cereal grass research, comparable in role to Arabidopsis thaliana for the dicotyledons. Plants are erect or weakly geniculate, 10-40 cm tall, slender, with hollow internodes and short, flat, soft, hairy or glabrate leaf blades 2-15 cm long and 2-8 mm wide; ligules are short membranous. The diagnostic inflorescence is a stiffly erect raceme of (1-)2-7 large, sessile, distichously arranged spikelets, each 1.5-3 cm long, lanceolate, and bearing 8-15 closely packed florets. Each floret has a hairy lemma tipped with a long stiff straight awn 7-15 mm long, giving the inflorescence its distinctive bristly appearance. The species completes its life cycle in 2-3 months under favourable conditions and has been used to develop genetic, genomic, and transformation resources widely deployed in cereal-grass biology.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
None Documented
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.