Bromus catharticus Vahl, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Bromus brevis Steud.; Bromus unioloides Kunth; Bromus willdenowii Kunth

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: bian sui que mai

English: prairie grass, rescue grass, Schrader's bromegrass

French: brôme de Lavallée, brôme de Schrader

Spanish: cebadilla, cebadilla australiana, cebadilla criolla, pasto del perro, triguillo

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80-100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 3-8 mm wide. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 10-40 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.  Spikelets comprising 6-12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 16-40 mm long; 4-10 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas. Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 10-15 mm long; 0.9 times length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 5-9 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 11-17 mm long; 0.7-0.8 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 9-13 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate. Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 12-20 mm long; 3-7 mm wide; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; distinctly keeled; 9-13 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 1-9 mm long overall. Palea 0.7-0.7 times length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Flower: Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5-4 mm long. Ovary with a fleshy appendage above style insertion; pubescent on apex. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex; apex fleshy. Hilum linear" (Clayton et al., 2002).

"Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]:  "Stout annuals or short-lived perennials; culms erect to spreading, (2.5-) 6-15 dm tall, glabrous.  Sheaths 8-12 cm long, hirsute to pilose or rarely glabrous, often ciliate at throat; ligule 2.5-5 mm long, membranous, glabrous to pilose, apex erose; blades flat, 3-6 mm wide, retrorsely scabrous, sometimes sparsely pilose, auricles absent or minute.  Inflorescence paniculate, (8-) 12-45 cm long, the branches scabrous, 10-20 cm long, often drooping; spikelets 4-7 (-13)-flowered, strongly laterally compressed, (16-) 20-45 mm long; glumes many-nerved, acuminate, strongly keeled, first glume (7-) 8-11.5 mm long, second glume lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 9-13 mm long; lemmas 14-16 mm long, lanceolate, keeled, many-nerved, minutely scaberulous to glabrous, apex minutely bifid, awns, when present, up to 2.5 mm long; palea 8-10 mm long, acute, ciliolate.  Caryopsis reddish brown, narrowly ovate, 12-14 mm long" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1508).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘'i, "naturalized and common in pastures, open areas, and along trails and roadsides, 300-3,050 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1508).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  South America (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "A fairly common alien grass which has been grown for fodder, but is sometimes weedy". Vouchers cited: R.D. Hoogland 8660 (CANB), A.C. Beauglehole 5428 (CANB, MEL)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) "A fairly common alien grass which has been grown for fodder, but is sometimes weedy". Vouchers cited: P. Ralston 6 (A), P.S. Green 1448 (A, K), W.R. Sykes NI 923 (CHR)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 551)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 551)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 390) Introduced but failed to persist. Vouchers cited: DA 3588 et al.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1508) As Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (1997) (p. 11) Voucher cited: Flynn 2180 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2008) (pp. 31-32) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H20709 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1508) As Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1508) As Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]; voucher cited: Rock s.n. (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1508) As Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1508) As Bromus willdenowii Kunth [= Bromus catharticus var. catharticus]
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-5)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 33)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 33)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 33)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 55)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 192)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 33)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (pp. 356, 361, 371) "Collected from waste land on roadsides in Alexandra, Central Otago". Vouchers cited: A. J. Healy (CHR 98462), A. J. Healy (CHR 174129)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Naturalisé"

Comments:  Naturalized in La Réunion per Christophe Lavergne, pers. com.

Additional information:
Additional online information about Bromus catharticus is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Bromus catharticus as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Bromus catharticus may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Clayton, W.D./Harman, K.T./Williamson, H. 2011. World Grass Species: Descriptions, Identification, and Information Retrieval [GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora]. The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

Edgar, E./Connor, H. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, vol. V: Gramineae. Manaaki Whenua Press. .

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 2. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 137 pp. + plates.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim. 1997. New naturalized plant records for Kaua‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1996. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 49:9-13.

Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro. 2004. Invasive alien species in Japan: the status quo and the new regulation for prevention of their adverse effects. Global Environmental Research 8(2)/2004: 171-191.

Oppenheimer, Hank. 2008. New Hawaiian plant records for 2007. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2007. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 100:22-38.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. Botanical survey of Midway Atoll. Prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 27 pp. plus appendices.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).