SafePlants

Soft Brome (Bromus hordeaceus)

Soft Brome is a common grass species found in various habitats worldwide. It's known for its soft, silky seed heads and its adaptability to disturbed environments.

Considerations for Pets

• This plant has hairy stems.
• Soft brome has awns.

Scientific Classification and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Bromus hordeaceus
• Common Names: Soft Brome, Soft Chess, Bull Grass
• Family: Poaceae (True Grass Family)
• Taxonomic Rank: Subspecies include Bromus hordeaceus ssp. hordeaceus and Bromus hordeaceus ssp. molliformis.
• Synonyms/Alternative Names: Bromus mollis, Slender Soft Brome (Bromus lepidus)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to Eurasia, particularly the Mediterranean region.
• Naturalized in all continents except Antarctica.
• Common throughout the UK.
• Found in roadside verges, waste grounds, meadows, cultivated ground, open disturbed areas, and dunes.
• Widely distributed at lower elevations in California.

Ecological Role

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

Morphological Characteristics

• Annual or sometimes biennial grass.
• Grows from 30 cm up to 80 cm in height.
• 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.
• Cool season annual grass with soft florets.
• Stems round in cross-section.
• Leaves rolled in bud.
• Flowers from April to July.
• Fibrous roots.

Quirky Facts

• The name "soft brome" refers to the silky touch of the seed head.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Can be a weed in cereal crops.

Further Information

• A-P-H-O-T-O-FLORA Photographic Stock Library
• CalPhotos
• ResearchGate (for full-text publications)