Downy Brome

Plant Profile
FUYSE 3D Image	Common Name: Downy Brome Other Names: Cheatgrass, Military Grass, Early Chess, Thatch Bromegrass Species Name: Bromus tectorum L. Plant Type: Grasses & Grass-like Family Name: Poaceae

Plant Facts
Origin	Europe
Duration	Winter Annual
Season	Cool
Distribution in the U.S.	NE, SD, ND, KA, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, MT, WY, CO, NM, AB, SK, MB
Distribution in Oklahoma	Western Oklahoma

ID Characteristics

Field Identification Characteristics
- Inflorescence: Panicle (5-15 centimeters long), open, much-branched; branches and pedicels slender, flexuous drooping
- Spikelet: Florets 5-8 (1.2-1.8 centimeters long excluding awns); lemmas (0.9-1.2 centimeters long) with thin membranous margins and ending in long, slender teeth (2-3 millimeters long); lemmas with soft “downy” hairs, awned
- Floral: Generally has nodding inflorescence; iconic, long, prominent awns
- Vegetative: Thin, wiry branches; closed sheath
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
- Sheath: Rough, flattened toward collar, softly hairy, pilose
- Blade: Flat (5-12 centimeters long, 3-7 millimeters wide), rounded to truncate, may be toothed
- Culm: Upright weak, may be branched from the base
- Plant Height: 15-60 centimeters
- Lingule Type: Membranous
- Leaves: Cauline
Floral Characteristics
- Inflorescence Type: Panicle
- Florets Per Spikelet:4-6
- Glumes: Unequal

Habitat/Ecology
Soil Type	Varying, preferred coarse textured soils
Habitat	Throughout the Great Plains on rangeland, fields, disturbed sites, roadsides and waste areas
Successional Stage	Early, but invades all stages