Smooth brome
Bromus inermis Leyss.
Images
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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect or rarely decumbent, glabrous.
- Blades
- Flat, 4-16 inches long, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, glabrous or pubescent, conspicuous "W" constriction on blades; margins rough.
- Sheath
- Round, prominently veined, glabrous or soft-hairy, waxy.
- Ligule
- Membranous, minutely jagged.
- Inflorescence
- Panicles, erect, 4-9 inches long, open or contracted, lowest branches whorled, terminal.
- Spikelets
- Approximately 1 inch long, less than 1/4 inch wide, pointed, often drooping, 4-10-flowered; glumes unequal, papery, first glume 1-nerved, second glume usually 3-nerved; lemmas greenish to purplish, mostly without awns, longer than glumes.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Roadsides, pastures, hayfields, waterways, ditches, and waste areas, more abundant in highly fertile sandy loam or clay loam soils.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Smooth brome is highly nutritious and palatable to livestock. It makes excellent hay and forage.
Additional Notes
Comments
Strongly rhizomatous. Smooth brome is widely planted for pasture grazing, hay, wildlife cover, and to prevent soil erosion. It frequently escapes into other habitats. The prominent W-shaped constriction on the leaf blades readily distinguishes smooth brome.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae Grass - Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 16 - 48 inches
- Origin
- Introduced
- Last Updated
- 2007-07-25
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July