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DESCRIPTION:
Bromegrasses are a large group including both perennial and annual grasses.
Some are valuable as forage and others are important weeds. Most species
have long spikelets with awns, no auricles, and membranous ligules. The
photos here show Bromus hordeaceous, soft brome, also called soft chess. This
species is a widely distributed annual at low elevation areas in California,
especially in open, disturbed areas. Mature soft brome plants are distinguished
by dense, soft hairs on the sheaths and compact spikelets with awns about 0.25
to 0.5 inch long. Other common bromegrasses in California agricultural situations
include ripgut brome, B. diandrus, which has
long awns, rescuegrass, B. catharticus, which is awnless or has awns no larger
than 0.12 inch, and downy brome, B. tectorum, which is quite hairy and has
awns about one-half inch long.
Grass ID illustration.
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