Smooth Brome Grass
Order: Cyperales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Bromus
Species: B. inermis
General Characteristics: A rhizomatous, clump-forming, perennial grass bearing many light green (sometimes purple- or bronze-tinged), narrow, usually hairless spikelets in a loose, much-branched terminal cluster.
This drought-resistant Eurasian species was deliberately introduced into the United States around 1880 as a hay and pasture grass and for reseeding western ranges. It has since gone wild throughout the United States and much of Canada (except the far north) and is now one of our most common weedy grasses; in some areas it is considered an undesirable plant because of its aggressiveness. However, its deep roots make it an excellent soil binder, protecting against erosion. Relished by all kinds of livestock, it is a fine forage. The species name means unarmed, alluding to the spikelets, which do not have the long bristles characteristic of some of Smooth Bromes relatives. A rare variant has hairy spikelets.
Special Adaptations: Bromus inermis is a larval host and/or nectar source for the Orange-edged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes fimbriata)
No comments:
Post a Comment