# 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.

- **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.

## About

Bromus madritensis (also, B. matritensis ) is a species of brome grass known by the common name compact brome .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/a95b64c3-f999-4882-a284-fb8959092106
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/52707
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromus madritensis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/218216410/medium.jpg (James C. Davis, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.