Bromus catharticus

Bromus catharticus is a species of brome grass known by the common names rescuegrass, grazing brome, prairie grass, and Schrader's bromegrass. The specific epithet catharticus is Latin, meaning cathartic. The common name rescuegrass refers to the ability of the grass to provide forage after harsh droughts or severe winters. The grass has a diploid number of 42.

It is native to South America but it can be found in other places, including Europe, Australia and North America, as an introduced species.

Description

Bromus catharticus is a coarse winter annual or biennial grass, growing in height. The culms of the grass are glabrous and thick. The sheaths are densely hairy. The grass lacks auricles and the glabrous ligule is long. The leaf blades are long and wide and are glabrous or pubescent. The erect or nodding panicles are long. The upper spikelets are erect and the lower spikelets are nodding or drooping. Each flat and pointed spikelet is long and has four to twelve florets. The glumes are smooth or occasionally slightly scabrous. The lower glume is fie to seven-veined and long, and the upper glume is seven to nine-veined and long. The lemmas are scabrous or nearly glabrous and lack awns or possess very short awns in length. The lemmas are long. The palea is over half the length of the lemma. The anthers are long.

Habitat

Bromus catharticus grows in open and disturbed areas.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment (invasive species)
• USDA Plants Profile
• UC CalPhotos gallery