Compact Brome
Bromus madritensis
The awns on the seeds are hygroscopic; they twist and untwist in response to humidity changes, effectively 'drilling' the seed into the soil.
- Scientific name
- Bromus madritensis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Liliopsida › Poales › Poaceae › Bromus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry open fields, disturbed sites, roadsides, and rocky slopes.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (Sunlight, Water, CO2)
- Range
- Mediterranean Basin, Western United States, Australia, Canary Islands, South Africa
- Size
- 10 to 60 cm in height
- Lifespan
- 1 year (Annual)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Herbicide application in agricultural zones and competition with invasive perennials in some regions.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans, though the sharp, needle-like awns on the seeds can become embedded in clothing or pet fur. If seeds enter a pet's ears, nose, or paws, they may cause irritation or infection; remove them carefully with tweezers or seek a vet.
Bromus madritensis (also, B. matritensis ) is a species of brome grass known by the common name compact brome .
Photo: James C. Davis, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/a95b64c3-f999-4882-a284-fb8959092106.md