MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 31 



TRIBE 2. FESTUCEAE 

 2. BROMUS L. Bromegrass 



Spikelets several- to many-flowered, the rachilla disarticulating above the 

 glumes and between the florets; glumes unequal, acute, the first 1- to 3-nerved, 

 the second usually 3- to 5-nerved ; lemmas convex on the back or keeled, 5- to 

 9-nerved, 2-toothed, awned from between the teeth or awnless; palea usually 

 shorter than the lemma, ciliate on the keels. Low or rather tall annuals or 

 perennials with closed sheaths, usually flat blades, and open or contracted 

 panicles of large spikelets. Standard species, Bromus sterilis (type species, 

 B. secalinus). Name from bromos, an ancient Greek name for the oat, from 

 broma, food. 



The native perennial species of bromegrass form a considerable portion of 

 the forage in open woods of the mountain regions of the western United 

 States. Bromus carinatus, California brome, and its more eastern ally, B. 

 marginatus, are abundant from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. 

 Before maturity, they are relished by all classes of stock. Horses and sheep are 

 particularly fond of the seed heads. Bromus anomalus, B. pumpellianus, and 

 B. ciliatus, of the Rocky Mountain region, are abundant up to 10,000-11,000 

 feet altitude, and are of first rank for all classes of stock. Several other species 

 are nutritious but are usually not abundant enough to be of importance in the 

 grazing regions. The most important species agronomically is smooth brome, 

 B. inermis, a native of Eurasia, which is cultivated for hay and pasture in the 

 northern part of the Great Plains. It is more drought-resistant than timothy 

 and can be grown farther west on the Plains, but does not thrive south of 

 central Kansas. It is recommended for holding canal banks. Also called 

 smooth, awnless, and Hungarian brome. Rescue grass, B. catharticus, is culti- 

 vated for winter forage in the Southern States from North Carolina to Texas 

 and in the coast district of southern California. 



The annuals are weedy species introduced mostly from Europe. The best 

 known of these is chess, Bromus secalinus, a weed of waste places sometimes 

 infesting grainfields. Formerly it was believed by the credulous that under 

 certain conditions wheat changed into chess or "cheat." Chess in a wheatfield 

 is due to chess seed in the soil or in the wheat sown. This species is utilized for 

 hay in places in Washington, Oregon, and Georgia. On the Pacific coast the 

 annual bromegrasses cover vast areas of open ground at lower altitudes where 

 they form a large part of the forage on the winter range. They mature in spring 

 or early summer and become unpalatable. Those of the section Eubromus 

 are, at maturity, a serious pest. The narrow, sharp-pointed minutely barbed 

 florets (or fruits) with their long rough awns work into the eyes, nostrils, and 

 mouths of stock, causing inflammation and often serious injury. Sometimes 

 the intestines are pierced, and death results. On the Pacific coast, B. rigidus, 

 the chief offender, is called ripgut grass by stockmen, and the name is some- 

 times applied to other species of the section. 



Spikelets strongly flattened, the lemmas compressed-keeled Section 1. Ceratochloa. 



Spikelets terete before anthesis or somewhat flattened, but the lemmas not compressed- 

 keeled. 



Plants perennial Section 2. Bromopsis. 



Plants annual. Introduced, mostly from Europe. 



Awn straight or divaricate, sometimes minute or obsolete, not twisted and geniculate; 

 teeth of the lemma sometimes slender but not aristate. 

 Lemmas broad, rounded above, not acuminate, the teeth mostly less than 1 mm. 



long _ Section 3. Bromium. 



Lemmas narrow, with a sharp callus, gradually acuminate, bifid, the teeth 2 to 5 

 mm. long. Awns usually more than 1.5 cm. long.... Section 4. Eubromus. 

 Awn geniculate, twisted below; teeth of the lemma aristate. 



Section 5. Neobromus. 



