Briza maxima L.

Spice In the field

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Briza

Catalan common name: Arracades. Balladors. Ballaruga. Ballerugues. Belluguet gros. Campanetes del Bon Jesús. Fanalets. Poltriu d'orugues. Sabatetes. Xinel·les de la mare de Déu.

Spanish common name: Lágrimas. Pendientes. Tembladera.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera. Cabrera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic silicolous fields. Field and road sides.

Characteristics: This may be one of the easiest Gramenes to identify. Its spikelets hang and tremble when the plant is touched or moved by the air; these spikelets are very large, have a membranous texture and vaguely resemble small insects. Briza minor also lives in the islands, but it has much smaller, much more numerous spikelets and does not create any confusion.