Bromes
What are they?
The bromes are a relatively large and somewhat variable group of grasses and one which taxonomists have disagreed over for a long time on how to define the genus. At present, most of the species on this page (except the false-bromes) are lumped together in the genus Bromus, but I have kept the more traditional genera of Anisantha, Bromopsis and Ceratochloa on this page, as they are useful divisions that help with identification. The two false-bromes are not closely related to the true bromes, but their flower spikelets rather resemble so it is useful to include them here.
Where are they found?
Bromes cover a wide spectrum of habitats, but are most frequent in rough, grassy places or as weeds of arable farmland and disturbed or waste ground. Some species are more habitat-specific (such as the false-bromes), which can be useful in aiding identification.
Identification
Click here for help with some of the terminology used on the grass pages. Many of the bromes have very open flower spikes with wiry branches that contain compact spikelets of florets at their ends. Such flower spikes are often 'top heavy', resulting in drooping or weeping flower spikes. Other species are more compact and upright, but still with a similar appearance to their spikelets. You can narrow down your search to the right genus as follows:
Plants perennial, lemmas strongly keeled on the back - Ceratochloa
Plants perennial with non-flowering shoots at flowering time; lemmas not strongly keeled on the back - Bromopsis
Plants annual (or biennial), spikelets ovate to lanceolate, lemmas 5-11mm long with awn as long or shorter than lemma - Bromus
Plants annual (or biennial), spikelets parallel-sided, lemmas 9-36mm long with awn as long or longer than lemma - Anisantha
Within the various groupings (Anisantha, Bromopsis, Bromus etc.) identification can be difficult and often requires details of the glumes and lemmas (plus their awns), as well as measurements of various flower parts - so a small ruler is very handy.
Barren Brome Anisantha sterilis
A native annual, or overwintering as a biennial. Common to abundant in all kinds of rough, disturbed or neglected ground, gardens and cultivated borders and as an urban weed. Flowers May to July. Plants 15-100cm in height, very variable according to growing conditions. Leaf blades 2-7mm wide, coarse and shortly hairy, the blades typically spirally twisted. Leaf sheaths rounded and hairy. Ligule membranous, long and ragged-tipped. Flower spike consisting of long, slender branches, typically arching gracefully over to one side. Spikelets 40-60mm (including the very long awns) with 4-10 florets, plus 1-2 sterile florets at the apex of the spikelet. Lemmas 13-20mm, strongly overlapping at first, later more open, with a long awn 15-30mm in length.
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Great Brome Anisantha diandra
An introduced annual, which is perhaps more common in East Anglia than anywhere else in the country. A weed of arable land that commonly spreads into neighbouring hedgebanks and roadsides where the ground has been bared or disturbed. Flowers May to July. Plants 35-80cm in height, very variable but usually loosely tufted and often forming large stands. Leaf blades 4-8mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Leaf sheaths rounded and hairy. Ligule membranous, 3-6mm long and ragged-tipped. Flower spike with long, slender branches, typically arching over to one side (but less so than Barren Brome) and with a roughly hairy central stem (rachis). Spikelets 70-90mm (including the awns) with 5-8 florets. Lemmas 20-36mm, strongly overlapping at first, later more open, with a long awn 35-65mm in length.
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Ripgut Brome Anisantha rigida
An introduced annual which has been recorded occasionally from scattered locations around East Anglia. Flowers May to June. Plants 20-60cm in height. Leaf blades 4-8mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Leaf sheaths rounded and hairy. Ligule membranous. Flower spike with relatively short, compact branches, shorter than the spikelets. Spikelets 25-35mm (including the awns) with 4-9 florets. Lemmas 22-30mm, strongly overlapping at first, later more open, with a long awn 35-65mm in length. Closely resembles a smaller, more compact, Great Brome and could be confused with stunted examples of that species. Technically, the difference between Ripgut and Great Bromes is based on the callus scar at the base of the lemmas. Remove a lemma and a rounded scar can be seen with a hand lens at the base, where the lemma was attached to the stem. In Ripgut Brome, this scar is elliptical, pointed at the end, in Great Brome it is circular, rounded at the end.
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Compact Brome Anisantha madritensis
A rare, introduced annual with imported wool or grain, persisting most frequently near old grain stores around Cambridge/Newmarket and in Suffolk coastal areas, but this may be in part due to observer bias. Flowers May to July. Plants 10-60cm in height. Leaf blades 2-5mm wide, short-haired or hairless; leaf sheaths hairy below, the uppers often smooth. Ligule membranous and jagged. Flower spike with short, compact branches, much shorter than the spikelets. Spikelets 35-60mm (including the awns) with 6-13 florets, the upper 1-2 sterile. Lemmas 12-20mm, with a 12-20mm awn. Closely resembles Foxtail Brome but differs from it in the details of the spikelets and the lemmas. Plants may turn reddish as they mature.
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Foxtail Brome Anisantha rubens
Formerly a very rare, introduced annual with imported wool or grain, but there have been no recent records. Flowers May to June. Plants 20-45cm in height. Leaf blades 3-5mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Lower leaf sheaths rounded and hairy, the uppers often slightly keeled and smooth. Ligule membranous and often torn. Flower spike with short, compact branches, much shorter than the spikelets. Spikelets 15-27mm (including the awns) with 4-9 florets, at least the upper three sterile and reddish. Lemmas 9-13mm, with an 8-12mm awn. Closely resembles Compact Brome but differs from it in the details of the spikelets and the lemmas. Plants often turn reddish as they mature, but this in itself is not sufficient to confirm an identification.
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Drooping Brome Anisantha tectorum
Once considered native in Breckland but now considered likely to have been introduced. Formerly quite common in Breckland but now persists at just a handful of sites, mostly in the Mildenhall/Lakenheath area. Flowers May to July. Plants 10-60cm in height. Leaf blades 2-4mm wide, softly hairy; leaf sheaths hairy below, the uppers often smooth. Ligule membranous and jagged. Flower spike soon distinctly drooping to one side, becoming fully pendulous by maturity. Spikelets 25-35mm (including the awns) with 4-8 florets, the upper three or more being sterile. Lemmas 9-13mm, with a 10-18mm awn.
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Great Hairy Brome Bromopsis ramosa
A native perennial of shady places, found along woodland rides and on roadsides where they pass through wooded areas, especially on the heavier boulder clay soils. Flowers July to August. Plants 45-190cm in height, a stately plant with tall and gracefully arching spikes. Leaf blades 6-16mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Leaf sheaths rounded and noticeably hairy, splitting on the back. Ligule membranous, 3-6mm long, rather firm and often ragged. Flower spike consisting of long, slender branches, typically arching gracefully over to one side. Spikelets pendulous, 20-40mm long with 4-11 florets, the spikelets carried at the ends of the long branches. Lemmas 10-14mm, strongly overlapping at first, later with incurved margins, with an awn 4-8mm in length.
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Upright Brome Bromopsis erecta
A native perennial of dry, grassy banks on neutral or more typically chalky soils. Most frequent from West Suffolk, south-west through Cambridgeshire and can form extensive patches. Flowers June to July. Plants 45-120cm in height, forming tussocks from short rhizomes. Leaf blades 2-3mm wide, loosely hairy or smooth, the lower leaves often inrolled. Leaf sheaths rounded, the lower sheaths lightly hairy. Ligule membranous, up to 6mm long, jagged. Flower spike spreading at anthesis but otherwise rather narrow. Spikelets narrow, 15-40mm long with 4-14 florets. Lemmas 8-15mm, strongly overlapping at first, later with incurved margins, with an awn 3-8mm in length.
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Hungarian Brome Bromopsis inermis
An introduced perennial, formerly used in mixed fodder crops and persisting in a few, scattered places. Flowers July to August. Plants 30-150cm in height, forming extensive patches from long rhizomes. Leaf blades 3-9mm wide, smooth. Leaf sheaths rounded, hairy or smooth and with rounded auricles at the top. Ligule membranous, up to 2mm long, jagged. Flower spike upight at first, becoming loose and open. Spikelets narrow, 15-30mm long with 5-10 florets. Lemmas 8-10mm long and typically unawned. The North American subspecies pumpelliana has long been naturalised in South Essex so could turn up in the future. It differs in having awns up to 6mm long on the lemmas and hairy stem nodes and leaf sheaths.
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Common Soft-brome Bromus hordeaceus
A native annual or biennial, common to abundant in all kinds of grassy places. Flowers May to July. Plants 10-100cm in height, loosely tufted or solitary. Leaf blades 2-7mm wide, softly downy. Leaf sheaths rounded and downy (the uppers sometimes smooth). Ligule membranous, up to 2.5mm long and ragged-tipped. Flower spike variable but typically more compact than other Bromus species. Spikelets 12-22mm (including the awns) with 6-12 florets. Lemmas 8-11mm, closely overlapping, with a 5-10mm awn from just below the apex. An incredibly variable species that is greatly influenced by growing conditions in its appearance, but the overall downiness of the spikelets is a useful feature.
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Smooth Brome Bromus racemosus
A native annual or biennial of grassy places and an introduced plant of disturbed ground. Very rare in Norfolk but becoming more frequent in the west of our region, especially in Cambridgeshire. Flowers June to July. Plants 25-110cm in height, loosely tufted or solitary. Leaf blades 2-5mm wide, softly hairy. Leaf sheaths rounded the lowers with downward pointing hairs, the uppers lightly downy or smooth. Ligule membranous, 1-3mm long, toothed. Flower spike erect at first, becoming more loose and open. Spikelets 10-16mm (including the awns) with 4-8 florets. Lemmas 6-8.5mm, overlapping, smoothly curved with a 5-9mm awn from near the apex. Anthers mostly 2-3mm long. (See also note under Meadow Brome.)
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Meadow Brome Bromus commutatus
A native annual or biennial of grassy places and an introduced plant of disturbed ground. Uncommon in Norfolk but becoming more frequent in the south and west of our region. Flowers May to July. Plants 40-120cm in height, loosely tufted or solitary. Leaf blades 3-9mm wide, loosely hairy and rather rough. Leaf sheaths rounded the lowers softly hairy, the uppers lightly hairy or smooth. Ligule membranous, 1-4mm long, jagged. Flower spike erect at first, becoming more loose and open and eventually drooping to one side. Spikelets 15-28mm (including the awns) with 4-10 florets. Lemmas 8-11mm, overlapping, smoothly curved with a 4-10mm awn from near the apex. Anthers mostly 1.0-1.5mm long.
Note: Taxonomists now often consider this species to be merely a form of Smooth Brome and many plants appear to be intermediate between the two and not safely identifiable.
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Field Brome Bromus arvensis
An introduced annual from continental Europe but always rare in our region and perhaps no longer occurs. Flowers June to August. Plants 25-90cm in height, loosely tufted or solitary. Leaf blades 2-5mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Leaf sheaths rounded the lowers softly hairy, the uppers smooth. Ligule membranous, 2-4mm long, toothed. Flower spike erect or slightly nodding, very open and loose with long branches. Spikelets 10-20mm (including the awns) with 4-10 florets. Lemmas 6-7.5mm, overlapping, rounded on the back with a 4.5-7mm awn from near the apex. Anthers relatively large, mostly 3-5mm long.
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Rye Brome Bromus secalinus
An introduced annual from continental Europe, probably once grown as a Neolithic crop and persisting as a scarce weed of cultivated places. More recently, it has been increasing again in parts of Norfolk and central Suffolk. Flowers June to July. Plants 60-100cm in height, loosely tufted or solitary. Leaf blades 4-12mm wide, loosely hairy, rough. Leaf sheaths rounded, typcially smooth but the lowers sometimes a little hairy. Ligule membranous, 1-2mm long, toothed. Flower spike erect at first then slightly nodding, typically open and loose with long branches but sometimes more compact. Spikelets 12-24mm (including the awns) with 4-11 florets. Lemmas 6.5-9mm with a 4.5-9mm awn from near the apex; overlapping at first but later curling entirely around the developing seed. Anthers 1-2mm long. Very distinctive when mature as the curling lemmas separate out each floret into a tubular form.
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California Brome Ceratochloa carinata
An introduced, short-lived perennial from western North America, occasionally germinating from spilt grain, birdseed and similar sources. Flowers June to August. Plants 30-80cm in height, typically loosely tufted. Leaf blades 4-14mm wide, hairless or only lightly hairy. Leaf sheaths rounded and hairless, except at the very top. Ligule membranous, 2-3mm long, tattered. Flower spike loose and nodding, open and with long branches. Spikelets 22-45mm (including the awns) with 5-9 florets, strongly compressed. Lemmas 10-18mm, with 7-9 veins, strongly keeled, with a 6-10mm awn from the tip. Anthers relatively large, mostly 4-5mm long.
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Rescue Brome Ceratochloa cathartica
An introduced, annual or short-lived perennial from Central and South America, occasionally germinating from spilt grain, birdseed and similar sources. Flowers June to September. Plants 30-100cm in height, typically loosely tufted. Leaf blades 4-10mm wide, lightly hairy. Leaf sheaths rounded, downy to hairy. Ligule membranous, 4-5mm long, often tattered. Flower spike loose and nodding, open and with long branches. Spikelets 15-35mm (including the awns) with 6-12 florets, strongly compressed. Lemmas 8-19mm, with 9-11 veins, strongly keeled, unawned, or with a 0.5-4mm awn from the tip. Plants typically self-pollinating from closed flowers.
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Common False-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum
A native perennial, common to abundant in shady places on heavier soils. Flowers July to August. Plants 30-90cm in height, forming densely tufted clumps. Leaf blades 6-12mm wide, narrowing very noticeably into the base, softly downy, upright when young but later arching over, pale green. Leaf sheaths rounded and hairy (sometimes hairless on the uppermost sheaths). Ligule membranous, 1-6mm in length. Flower spike upright at first, later strongly arching as the spikelets mature. Spikelets slender, strongly overlapping each other alternately along a central axis, 20-40mm with 8-16 florets. Lemmas 7-12mm, overlapping, downy, with an awn 7-15mm in length. A very distinctive species, forming tight clumps of pale but richly-coloured, green leaves that have broad blades but which narrow down abruptly at the base.
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Heath False-brome Brachypodium pinnatum
A native perennial, rare throughout most of East Anglia but becoming frequent on the chalk soils of Cambrigeshire. Flowers June to August. Plants 30-120cm in height, forming loose to compact clumps. Leaf blades 2-6mm wide, sparsely hairy or hairless, green to yellowish-green, rather stiff and erect. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth (sometimes hairy on the lower sheaths). Ligule membranous, 1-2mm in length. Flower spike upright or slightly nodding, but not arched. Spikelets slender, strongly overlapping each other alternately along a central axis, 20-40mm with 8-22 florets. Lemmas 6-10mm, overlapping, hairless or with just a few hairs, with an awn 1-5mm in length.
Note: This species is often called Tor-grass in older books, but due to a taxonomic split, that name now belongs to Brachypodium rupestre, a species that does not occur in our area (though it is not far away in Lincolnshire).
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