Table 6.1
Taxonomy of the tribe Bromeae
GenusMethods of subdividingBromusgrassesLife spanNo. speciesPloidyNative distributionGenusBromusGenusBromusLinnaeusSectionBromusSubgenusBromusAnnual, occ. biennialca. 30Diploid, polyploid Asia, Europe, AfricaSectionTriniusia(Steudel) NevskiAnnual2–3DiploidAsia, EuropeGenusBromopsis(Dumortier) FourreauSectionBromopsisDumortier orPnigmaDumortier orFestucoidesCosson & DurieuSubgenusFestucariaLinkPerennial, 1 annual70–90Diploid, polyploid Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia,North America, South AmericaSectionSinobromusKengPerennial5AsiaGenusCeratochloaBeauvoisSectionCeratochloa(Beauv.) GrisebachSubgenusCeratochloa (Beauv.) HackelAnnual, biennial, Short-lived perennial, perennialca. 20PolyploidNorth America, South AmericaGenusAnisantha(C. Koch)SectionGeneaDumortierSubgenusStenobromusHackelAnnual5–8Diploid, polyploidEurope, North Africa, and Western Asia, especially around the MediterraneanGenusNevskiellaKreczetovich & VvedenskySectionNevskiella(Krecz. & Vved.)Tournay SubgenusNevskiella(Krecz. & Vved.)Krecz. & Vved.Annual1DiploidWestern and Central AsiaGenusTrisetobromusNevskiSectionNeobromus(Shear) HitchcockSubgenusNeobromusShearAnnual (or perennial)2PolyploidSouth America (Chile)GenusBoissieraHochstetterex SteudelAnnual1Diploid, polyploidEastern Mediterranean, AsiaGenusLittledaleaHemsleyPerennial4?Western China, Central AsiaThis table shows three systems of taxonomy that are commonly in use today. Theleft columnshows three genera:Bromus, Boissiera, andLittledalea.The genusBromusisusually subdivided into six groups, shown in the second column (Smith1970; Stebbins1981; Tsvelev 1981; Clayton et al.2006onwards; Saarela et al.2007). Tsvelev(1981) broke the genusBromusinto six genera. Smith (1970) subdivided it into sections and Stebbins (1981) used subgenera. Additional sections proposed by otherauthors are sometimes used (Scholz1998; Liu et al.2006)