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soft brome

Scientific Name: Bromus hordeaceus ssp. divaricatus

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Annual

Other Names:

       

Soft Brome (Bromus hordeaceus)

Soft brome is a common grass found in various habitats. It's important to be aware of its characteristics, distribution, and potential interactions with the environment.

Considerations for Pets

  • Soft brome has awns (bristle-like appendages) on its seed heads, which, while generally soft to the touch, could potentially cause irritation or discomfort if they come into contact with pets.
  • As a grass commonly found in meadows, roadside verges, and cultivated grounds, pets are likely to encounter it outdoors.

Considerations for Children

  • Soft brome is often found in open, disturbed areas, including cultivated lands, meadows, and waste areas where children may play.
  • The plant grows up to 80 cm tall and has hairy stems and leaves, potentially causing minor skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
  • The seed heads have soft awns that could potentially cause irritation.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Bromus hordeaceus
  • Common Names: Soft brome, Soft chess, Bull grass
  • Family: Poaceae (True Grass Family)
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Taxonomic Rank: Species
  • Subspecies:
    • Bromus hordeaceus subsp. hordeaceus
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. molliformis
  • Synonyms: Bromus mollis (though some sources may consider this a separate species or synonym)
  • Related Species: Meadow brome (Bromus commutatus), Rye brome (Bromus secalinus), Barren brome.
  • Translation: Slender soft brome bromegrass (Bromus lepidus) (German)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Eurasia, particularly the Mediterranean region.
  • Naturalized in North and South America, Australia (all continents except Antarctica).
  • Common throughout the UK.
  • Found in roadside verges, waste grounds, meadows, cultivated ground, dunes, and open, disturbed areas.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Annual or biennial grass.
  • Grows from 30cm to 80cm tall.
  • Tufted growth habit.
  • Stems are bent at the nodes.
  • Leaves are flat, up to 12 cm long and 6 mm wide, and softly hairy.
  • Panicle is erect, 5 to 10 cm long, usually with many ovoid-conical tapering spikelets (10 to 25 mm long).
  • Seed head has soft awns.
  • Cool season annual grass with soft florets and slender awns.
  • Stems round in cross-section.
  • Leaves rolled in bud.

Ecological Role

  • Can be considered an arable weed.
  • Found in cultivated areas where the soil is open and frequently disturbed.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Mentioned in the context of crop protection, indicating its presence in agricultural settings.

Further Information

  • Bayer CropScience provides crop protection information related to soft brome.
  • CalPhotos is a resource for images of Bromus hordeaceus.
  • ResearchGate contains publications about Bromus hordeaceus.