Bromus

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Bromus

Soft Brome (Bromus sterilis)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Bromus Scop.

Species

See text.

Bromus is a large genus of the grass family Poaceae with about 160 species. Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 to 400. Commonly known as brome grasses, Bromus species occur in many habitats in temperate regions of the world, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. There is a wide variety between some species, while the morphological differences between others are subtle and difficult to distinguish. As such, the taxonomy of the genus is complicated. The genus Bromus is distinguished from other grass genera by the combination of several morphological characteristics, including leaf sheaths that are closed (connate) for most of their length, apicals that are usually inserted subapically, and hairy appendages on the ovary. The leaves and sheaths can be hairless, sparsely hairy or hairy. The inflorescence is a loose or open panicle, usually drooping or nodding, sometimes spreading (as in Japanese Brome).

Taxonomists (people who study biodiversity) have generated various classification schemes to reflect the morphological variation that is seen in Bromus. In North America, five sections are generally recognized: sect. Bromus, sect. Genea, sect. Ceratochloa, sect. Neobromus, and sect. Brompsis. Sections Bromus and Genea are native to the Old World (Eurasia), but many species are introduced into North America. Sections Bromopsis, Neobromus, and Ceratochloa have several native species in North America.

[edit] Species

Bromus aleutensis - Aleutian Brome
Bromus alopecuros - Weedy Brome
Bromus anomalus - Nodding Brome
Bromus arenarius - Australian Brome
Bromus arizonicus - Arizona Brome
Bromus arvensis - Field Brome, Schrader's Brome
Bromus benekii - Lesser Hairy Brome
Bromus berterianus - Chilean chess
Bromus biebersteinii - Meadow Brome
Bromus briziformis - Rattlesnake Brome, Quake Grass.
Bromus bromoideus - Brome of the Ardennes
Bromus carinatus - California Brome, Mountain Brome Grass
Bromus catharticus - Rescuegrass, Australian Oat
Bromus ciliatus - Fringed Brome (syn. B. canadensis)
- Bromus ciliatus subsp. ciliatus - Fringed Brome
- Bromus ciliatus subsp. richardsonii - Fringed Brome
Bromus commutatus - Meadow Brome
Bromus danthoniae
Bromus diandrus - Great Brome, Ripgut Brome, Ripgut grass
Bromus erectus - Upright Brome, Erect Brome
Bromus fibrosus
Bromus frondosus - Weeping Brome
Bromus grandis - Tall Brome
Bromus grossus - Great Rye Brome, Whiskered Brome
Bromus hordeaceus - Soft Brome
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. ferronii - Least Soft Brome
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. hordeaceus - Soft Brome
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. molliformis - Soft Brome
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. pseudothominii - Soft Brome
- Bromus hordeaceus subsp. thominei - Lesser Soft Brome
Bromus inermis - Hungarian Brome, Smooth Brome, Awnless Brome Grass
- Bromus inermis subsp. inermis - Smooth Brome
  - Bromus inermis subsp. inermis var. divaricatus - Smooth Brome
  - Bromus inermis subsp. inermis var. inermis - Smooth Brome
- Bromus inermis subsp. pumpellianus - Pumpelly's Brome
  - Bromus inermis subsp. pumpellianus var. arcticus - Pumpelly's Brome
  - Bromus inermis subsp. pumpellianus var. pumpellianus - Pumpelly's Brome

Bromus mollis

Bromus interruptus - Interrupted Brome
Bromus japonicus - Japanese Brome
Bromus kalmii - Arctic Brome
Bromus laevipes - Chinook Brome
Bromus lanatipes - Woolly Brome
Bromus lanceolatus- Mediterranean Brome
Bromus latiglumis - Earlyleaf Brome
Bromus lepidus - Slender Soft Brome
Bromus luzonensis - Hoary Brome
Bromus macrostachys
Bromus madritensis - Compact Brome
Bromus mango - Mango Brome
Bromus marginatus - Mountain Brome
Bromus maritimus - Seaside Brome
Bromus mollis - Bull Grass, Soft Cheat, Soft Chess
Bromus mucroglumis - Sharpglume Brome
Bromus nottowayanus - Nottoway Valley Brome
Bromus orcuttianus - Orcutt's Brome
Bromus pacificus - Pacific Brome
Bromus polyanthus - Great Basin Brome
- Bromus polyanthus subsp. paniculatus - Great Basin Brome
- Bromus polyanthus subsp. polyanthus - Great Basin Brome
Bromus porteri - Porter Brome
Bromus pseudolaevipes - Coast Range Brome
Bromus pseudosecalinus- False Rye Brome
Bromus pseudothominii - Hybrid Soft Brome
Bromus pubescens - Hairy Woodland Brome
Bromus racemosus - Smooth Brome
Bromus ramosus - Hairy Brome
- Bromus ramosus subsp. benekii - Lesser Hairy Brome
- Bromus ramosus subsp. racemosus - Hairy Brome, Smooth Brome
Bromus rigidus - Stiff Brome, Ripgut Brome
Bromus rubens - Red Brome, Foxtail Brome
Bromus scoparius - Broom Brome
Bromus secalinus - Rye Brome, Chess, Cheat Grass
Bromus sitchensis - Alaska Brome
Bromus squarrosus - Rough Brome, Corn Brome
Bromus stamineus - Roadside Brome
Bromus sterilis - Barren Brome, Poverty Brome, Sterile Brome Grass
Bromus suksdorfii - Suksdorf's Brome
Bromus tectorum - Drooping Brome, Downy Brome
Bromus texensis - Texas Brome
Bromus vulgaris - Columbia Brome
Bromus willdenowii - Rescue Brome