Bromus Sect. Pnigma Dumort, Obs. Gram. Belg. 116. 1823.
Perennial, tufted or rhizomatous. Spikelets narrow, more or less lanceolate, terete; lower glume 1(-3)-nerved, upper glume 3(-5)-nerved; lemmas rounded or slightly keeled on the back, sometimes unevenly hairy; awns single, usually shorter than the lemmas, rarely weak or absent. 6 species in Pakistan.
Taxonomically, this is a very unsatisfactory section of Bromus. The difficulties with identification are frequently compounded by the condition of much of the existing herbarium material. In the field the distinction between tufted and rhizomatous species (with the possible exception of Bromus stenostachyus) is quite clear, but in herbarium specimens the rhizomes are seldom collected and the tufted species are rarely represented by more than a single culm; field notes frequently give no clue as to the habit of the plant. The key above, intended for use in the field, should be used with great care in the herbarium and all material should be matched against the descriptions with due regard for possible variation. The present account is little more than an approximation of the taxonomic situation in Bromus; much more work, especially of a biosystematic nature, needs to be done before a definitive account can be produced.
