Briza minor L.

Spice Inflorescence

Family: GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Genus: Briza

Catalan common name: Bellugadís. Puces.

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

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Some regions

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Terophyte.

Habitats: Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic silicolous fields. Humid soils.

Characteristics: A small and graceful annual grass. Very easy to identify, can be differentiated form the rest of the Gramininea by its small and rounded spikelets that hang down all along the inflorescence. It is similar to B. maxima but with much smaller spikelets (2-4 mm) and greater in number.