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 stamineus E. Desv.; Bromus unioloides Kunth; Bromus unioloides var. elata E. Desv.; Bromus willdenowii Kunth

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: bian sui que mai

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

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)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Shady ditch sides. Guizhou, Hebei, Jiangsu, Nei Mongol, Yunnan.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 33)
Japan Japan	Japan		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 55)
Japan Japan	Japan	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)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Shady ditch sides.

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.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Bromus catharticus, please let us know.