Bromes
Grasses - Poaceae
Barren Brome Bromus sterilisNative from Europe and the Mediterranean Region to Central Asia. 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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Great Brome Bromus diandrus
Native to the Mediterranean Region and eastwards to Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. 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.
 |
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
|
Ripgut Brome Bromus rigidus
Native from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean Region to Hungary and Iran. 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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Compact Brome Bromus madritensis
Native from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean Region to Central Asia. 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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Foxtail Brome Bromus rubens
Native from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean Region to Afghanistan. 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.
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
Drooping Brome Bromus tectorum
Native throughout much of Europe and the Mediterranean Region, eastwards to China. 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.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Common Soft Brome Bromus hordeaceus
Native throughout Europe, the Mediterranean Region and most of temperate Asia. 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.
 |
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Smooth Brome Bromus racemosus
Native throughout Europe and eastwards to Central Asia. 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.)
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Meadow Brome Bromus commutatus
Native throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Region to Iran. 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.
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|