SafePlants

Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis)

Considerations for Pets

• This grass is commonly used as forage grass and for hay production, so it's widely accessible.
• Armyworms were reported in smooth brome pastures, necessitating insecticide use, which may be a concern.
• Ergot, a fungus, can be found on smooth brome.

Considerations for Children

• This grass is commonly used as forage grass and for hay production, so it's widely accessible.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Bromus inermis Leyss.
• Common Names: Smooth brome, brome grass, cheat grass, chess grass, Austrian brome, Hungarian brome
• Synonyms: While not explicitly listed as synonyms, the text references "English Bromus inermis subsp. inermis" and "Hungarian Bromus inermis subsp. inermis" which can be considered subspecies.
• Family: Poaceae (Grass Family)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to Europe and Asia, it has been introduced to North America.
• Widely distributed across most contiguous states in the U.S., particularly in the northern regions.
• Common in the northern United States and Canada.
• Found in prairie environments and cultivated in some parts of the U.S., including California.
• Adaptable to deep, well-drained, moist soils.

Ecological Role

• Considered a non-native invasive species.
• Can invade both native cool- and warm-season grasslands.
• Introduced strains can eliminate native grasses and forbs.
• Smooth brome invasion led to increased soil nitrogen, soil carbon, and root biomass.
• Smooth brome invasion increases evenness and bacterial richness.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Long-lived perennial, sod-forming grass.
• Grows best during cool weather months.
• Typically 2-3 feet (0.6-0.9 m) tall, but can grow up to 1-1.5m.
• Usually unbranched.
• Culms (stems) are light green, hairless or short-pubescent, and terete (cylindrical).
• Leaves have a fine texture and are alternate, 0.25-0.75 inches wide.
• Has broad, typically hairless leaves.
• Roots are deep, fibrous, and very fine.
• Rhizomatous grass.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Armyworms can infest smooth brome pastures and hay fields.
• Pathogenic fungal species can be isolated from leaves and seeds.
• Cattle may avoid tough fodder from smooth brome.

Resources and Further Information

• USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program
• Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, Kansas State University
• College of Agriculture & Biological Sciences / USDA
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• KBS Marshall Farms Smooth Brome Grass (Ref)
• Cooperative Extension Service. College of Agriculture. Washington State