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Bromus
 
 
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Bromus is a large genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of the true grass family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 (Poaceae
Poaceae

Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the Magnoliophyta. Plants of this family are usually called grasses; the shrub- or tree-like plants in this family are called bamboo ....
). Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 to 400, but plant taxonomists currently recognize around 160--170 species . They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses or chess grasses

Bromus is part of the cool-season grass lineage (subfamily Pooideae), which includes about 3300 species.






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Bromus is a large genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of the true grass family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 (Poaceae
Poaceae

Poaceae or Gramineae is a family in the Class Liliopsida of the Magnoliophyta. Plants of this family are usually called grasses; the shrub- or tree-like plants in this family are called bamboo ....
). Estimates in the scientific literature of the number of species have ranged from 100 to 400, but plant taxonomists currently recognize around 160--170 species . They are commonly known as bromes, brome grasses, cheat grasses or chess grasses

Bromus is part of the cool-season grass lineage (subfamily Pooideae), which includes about 3300 species. Within Pooideae, Bromus is classified in tribe Bromeae (it is the only genus in the tribe). Bromus is closely related to the wheat-grass lineage (they are sister taxa) that includes such economically important genera as Triticum (wheat), Hordeum (rye) and Secale (rye), which are all classified in the tribe Triticeae.

Description

Bromus species occur in many habitats in temperate regions of the world, including the Americas
Americas

The Americas are the region of the Western hemisphere that consists of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions....
, Eurasia
Eurasia

Eurasia is a large landmass covering about 53,990,000 km? or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface . Often considered a single continent, Eurasia comprises the traditional continents of Europe and Asia, concepts which date back to classical antiquity and the borders for which are somewhat arbitrary....
, Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, and Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
. There are considerable morphological differences between some species, while the morphological
Morphology (biology)

The term morphology in biology refers to form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs....
 differences between others (usually those species that are closely related) 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 a combination of several morphological characteristics, including leaf sheaths that are closed (connate) for most of their length, awns that are usually inserted subapically, and hairy appendages on the ovary
Ovary (plants)

In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the carpel which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals....
. The leaf blades and sheaths, which comprise the leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 can be hairless, sparsely hairy or hairy. The inflorescence
Inflorescence

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches....
 is a dense or open panicle
Panicle

A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched Indeterminate growth inflorescence with Pedicel flowers attached along the secondary branches ....
, usually drooping or nodding, sometimes spreading (as in Japanese Brome, B. japonicus).

Ecology

The caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 use Bromus as a foodplant, e.g. the Chequered Skipper
Chequered Skipper

The Chequered Skipper or Arctic Skipper , is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family....
 (Carterocephalus palaemon).

Bromus species are generally considered to have little economic value to humans, at least in present times. The Tarahumara Indians in northern Mexico use the grains of some native Bromus species to aid fermentation in making one of their cultural beverages. As names like Bromus fibrosus, Poverty Brome (B. sterilis
Bromus sterilis

Bromus sterilis is a species of Bromus known as poverty brome, barren brome, and sterile brome. This grass is native to Eurasia but is well-known in many other parts of the world where it has been introduced species....
) or Ripgut Brome
Ripgut Brome

Ripgut Brome or ripgut grass refers to some species of brome grasses :* Bromus diandrus * Bromus rigidus ...
 attest, some species are not very useful as fodder
Fodder

In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs....
 because their leaves sclerotize quickly and may even be harmful to livestock due to the high silica content. Others, such as meadow brome (Bromus riparius), native to parts of Russia, are planted as forage in the Great Plains of North America. Brome grasses are not usually grown as ornamental plant
Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, Plant stem and bark....
s due to most species' nondescript appearance. Some are useful to prevent erosion
Erosion

For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion 'For use of in dermatopathology, see Erosion Erosion is the removal of solids in the natural environment....
 but such use must be cautiously controlled as most Bromus have the ability to spread, becoming invasive weeds. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) is a particularly troublesome weed across much of western North America (from southern British Columbia to California.)

Taxonomy and systematics

Bromus Sterilis
Taxonomists
Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word comes from the Greek language ', taxis and ', nomos .Taxonomies, or taxonomic schemes, are composed of taxonomic units known as taxa , or kinds of things that are arranged frequently in a hierarchical structure....
 have generated various classification schemes to reflect the morphological variation that is seen in Bromus. In North America, five morphologically similar groups of species, called section
Section (botany)

In botany, a section is a low-level taxonomic rank directly below subgenus. See rank and rank . It is typically used to help organize very large genus, which may have hundreds of species....
s, are generally recognized: Bromus, Genea
Genea

Genea is a genus of fungi in the family Pyronemataceae.=Greek=Greek word ?e?e? meaning descent.External links...
, Ceratochloa, Neobromus, and Bromopsis. 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.

Selected species

  • Bromus aleutensis – Aleutian Brome
  • Bromus alopecuros
    Bromus alopecuros

    Bromus alopecuros is a species of bromus known by the common name weedy brome. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin, and it is known in other places, including Australia, South Africa, and California, as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed....
     – Weedy Brome
  • Bromus anomalus – Nodding Brome
  • Bromus arenarius
    Bromus arenarius

    Bromus arenarius is a species of bromus known by the common name Australian brome. It is native to much of Australia, and it is known in New Zealand and parts of North America as an introduced species....
     – Australian Brome
  • Bromus arizonicus
    Bromus arizonicus

    Bromus arizonicus is a species of bromus known by the common name Arizona brome. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in many types of grassy valley and desert habitat....
     – Arizona Brome
  • Bromus arvensis – Field Brome, Schrader's Brome
  • Bromus benekii – Lesser Hairy Brome
  • Bromus berteroanus – Chilean Chess (B. berterianus is a common lapsus
    Lapsus

    Lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Sigmund Freud, in his early psychoanalytic theory it represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
    )
  • Bromus biebersteinii – Meadow Brome
  • Bromus briziformis
    Bromus briziformis

    Bromus briziformis is a species of bromus known by the common name rattlesnake brome. It is native to Eurasia and it can be found in North America as an introduced species....
     – Rattlesnake Brome, Quake Grass.
  • Bromus bromoideus
    Bromus bromoideus

    Bromus bromoideus is a species of grass in the genus Bromus. It was found in the calcareous meadows of the provinces of Liege and Luxembourg in Belgium, notably around the towns of Rochefort, Belgium, Beauraing and Comblain-au-Pont, where it was first discovered in 1821....
     – Ardennes Brome, Brome of the Ardennes
  • Bromus carinatus
    Bromus carinatus

    Bromus carinatus is a species of bromus known by the common names California brome and mountain brome. It is native to western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, where it can be found in many types of habitat....
     – California Brome, Mountain Brome
  • Bromus catharticus
    Bromus catharticus

    Bromus catharticus is a species of bromus known by the common name rescuegrass. It is native to South America but it can be found in other places, including Europe and North America, as an introduced species....
     – Rescuegrass, Australian Oat
  • Bromus ciliatus
    Bromus ciliatus

    Bromus ciliatus is a species of bromus known by the common name fringed brome. It is native to most of North America, including most of Canada, most of the United States except the South, and northern Mexico....
     – Fringed Brome (syn. B. canadensis)
    • Bromus ciliatus subsp. ciliatus
    • Bromus ciliatus subsp. richardsonii
  • Bromus commutatus – Meadow Brome
  • Bromus danthoniae
  • Bromus diandrus
    Bromus diandrus

    Bromus diandrus is a species of Poaceae known by the common names great brome and "ripgut brome". This is a Bromus which is native to the Mediterranean Basin but has been introduced species to much of the rest of the world....
     – Great Brome, "Ripgut Brome"
  • Bromus erectus – Upright Brome, Erect Brome
  • Bromus fibrosus
  • Bromus frondosus – Weeping Brome
  • Bromus grandis
    Bromus grandis

    Bromus grandis is a species of bromus known by the common name tall brome. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat from forest to coastal scrub....
     – Tall Brome
  • Bromus grossus – Great Rye Brome, Whiskered Brome
  • Bromus hordeaceus
    Bromus hordeaceus

    Bromus hordeaceus, the Soft Brome, is a species of plant in the true grass family . It is also known in North America as Bull Grass, Soft Cheat or Soft Chess....
     – Soft Brome, Bull Grass, Soft Cheat, Soft Chess
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. ferronii – Least Soft Brome
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. hordeaceus
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. molliformis
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. pseudothominii
    • Bromus hordeaceus ssp. thominei – Lesser Soft Brome
  • Bromus inermis – Hungarian Brome
    • Bromus inermis ssp. inermis – Awnless Brome
      • Bromus inermis ssp. inermis var. divaricatus
      • Bromus inermis ssp. inermis var. inermis
    • Bromus inermis ssp. pumpellianus – Pumpelly's Brome
      • Bromus inermis ssp. pumpellianus var. arcticus
      • Bromus inermis ssp. pumpellianus var. pumpellianus
  • Bromus interruptus
    Bromus interruptus

    Bromus interruptus, commonly known as the interrupted brome, is a plant in the Poaceae. It is endemic to southern and central England, but is believed to have been extinct in the wild since 1972....
     – Interrupted Brome
  • Bromus japonicus – Japanese Brome
  • Bromus kalmii – Kalm's Brome, Prairie Brome
  • Bromus laevipes
    Bromus laevipes

    Bromus laevipes is a species of bromus known by the common name Chinook brome. It is native to western North America from Washington to Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat....
     – 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
    Bromus madritensis

    Bromus madritensis is a species of Bromus known by the common name compact brome. It is native to Europe but it has been widely introduced species elsewhere, such as North America, where it is found in many areas....
     – Compact Brome
    • Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens – Red Brome, Foxtail Brome
  • Bromus mango – Mango Brome
  • Bromus marginatus – Mountain Brome
  • Bromus maritimus – Seaside Brome
  • Bromus mucroglumis – Sharpglume Brome
  • Bromus nottowayanus – Nottoway Valley Brome
  • Bromus orcuttianus
    Bromus orcuttianus

    Bromus orcuttianus is a species of bromus known by the common name Orcutt's brome. It is native to western North America from Washington to Baja California, where it grows in many types of habitat....
     – Orcutt's Brome
  • Bromus pacificus – Pacific Brome
  • Bromus polyanthus – Great Basin Brome
    • Bromus polyanthus ssp. paniculatus
    • Bromus polyanthus ssp. polyanthus
  • 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 ramosus – Hairy Brome
    • Bromus ramosus ssp. benekii – Lesser Hairy Brome
    • Bromus ramosus ssp. racemosus – Smooth Brome
  • Bromus rigidus – Stiff Brome, "Ripgut Brome"
  • Bromus scoparius – Broom Brome
  • Bromus secalinus
    Bromus secalinus

    Bromus secalinus is a species of Bromus known as rye brome. This grass is native to Eurasia but is well-known in many other parts of the world where it has been introduced species....
     – Rye Brome, Chess grass, Cheat Grass
  • Bromus sitchensis – Alaska Brome
  • Bromus squarrosus – Rough Brome, Corn Brome
  • Bromus stamineus – Roadside Brome
  • Bromus sterilis
    Bromus sterilis

    Bromus sterilis is a species of Bromus known as poverty brome, barren brome, and sterile brome. This grass is native to Eurasia but is well-known in many other parts of the world where it has been introduced species....
     – Barren Brome, Poverty Brome, Sterile Brome Grass
  • Bromus suksdorfii – Suksdorf's Brome
  • Bromus tectorum – Drooping Brome, Downy Brome
  • Bromus texensis – Texas Brome
  • Bromus vulgaris
    Bromus vulgaris

    Bromus vulgaris is a species of bromus known by the common name Columbia brome. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Wyoming, where it grows in many types of habitat, including temperate coniferous forest....
     – Columbia Brome
  • Bromus willdenowii – Rescue Brome


External links