Information Last Reviewed June 2007
Family: Poaceae
Symbol: BRTE
Home Range/U.S. Introduction:
This species was introduced from Europe, probably for forage. Bromus is a large genus of grasses of temperate regions of the world, many cultivated for hay or forage.
U.S. Range Map:
Species Description:
The plants are slender annuals with stems 30-60 cm tall. The stem nodes are glabrous. Leaf blades are up to 20 cm long, 1-6 mm wide, both surfaces and margins pubescent; sheaths are usually pubescent. The panicle is open, 5-20 cm long, 3-15 cm broad with flexuous, pubescent branches. The flowering and fruiting structures have narrow, sharp-pointed, 12- to 14-mm-long barbed points.
Growth Characteristics:
Plants are tufted annuals. Plants grow along roadsides, banks, fields and waste places, commonly on the Pacific coast. They are also found throughout the U.S.
Problems:
They are, at maturity, a serious pest because the pointed, barbed fruits can work into the eyes, nostrils and mouths of livestock, causing inflammation and often serious injury. Sometimes the intestines are pierced and death results. In some areas, the dry plants are fire hazards.