Brome (5)

	Downy Brome Bromus tectorum Family: Grass (Poaceae) AKA: Cheatgrass, Downy Chess Photo taken on: July 6, 2011 Location: Crested Butte South, CO Life Zones: Plains to montane Habitat: Dry fields, waste areas Grows to 2ft with drooping seed heads and soft, hairy, flat leaves. Flowers are purplish, hairy and have bristles up to ⅝" long (photo below at left). Seed heads in September (photo at right). It is considered noxious because it competes with more desirable grasses for moisture.

	Rescue Grass Bromus catharticus Family: Grass (Poaceae) AKA: Brome Grass Photo taken on: September 15, 2011 Location: White Rock, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides Grows to 2ft without hairs or bristles. Leaves are flat and narrow. Distinguished by its strongly flattened flower spikes. It turns straw-colored when mature.
	Smooth Brome Bromus inermis Family: Grass (Poaceae) AKA: Awnless Brome, Perennial Brome Photo taken on: July 18, 2011 Location: Taylor Canyon, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills to subalpine Habitat: Moist to dry open sites Grows to 4ft tall erect. It is distinguished by a prominent W-shaped constriction on the flat leaf blades.
	Flower clusters are open and branched, green to pale brown, sometimes purplish. Smooth Brome is widely planted for pasture grazing, hay and wildlife cover.
	Rye Brome Bromus secalinus Family: Grass (Poaceae) AKA: Cheat, Common Chess Photo taken on: June 24, 2014 Location: Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM Life Zones: Plains and foothills Habitat: Grain fields, meadows, waste areas Grows to over 3ft with a light green stem sheathed with darker green, narrow leaves. Nodes are swollen and dark-colored. Flower spikes are flat and ¾" long, and droop when they become heavy with seeds. The ligule is a prominent, ragged membrane. It is considered a noxious weed in many states.
	Weeping Brome Bromus frondosus Family: Grass (Poaceae) AKA: Cheat, Common Chess Photo taken on: August 1, 2015 Location: Lake Irwin, GV, CO Life Zones: Foothills and montane Habitat: Rocky slopes, open woods Grows erect 20" to 40" with drooping flower heads. Stems, leaves and spikelets are hairless. Leaves are flat and wide. The spikelets have ¼" bristles. Lower glumes have three nerves. Also observed at Bandelier National Monument, NM a few days later.

Grasses, Sedges & Rushes