Bromus hordeaceus L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Bromus mollis L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: mao que mai

English: lop grass, soft brome, soft chess

French: brome mou

Spanish: bromo blando, bromo suelto

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annuals; culms 1.5-6.5 (-10) dm tall, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes only on nodes.  Sheaths soft pubescent; ligule 0.5-2 mm long, finely erose-ciliate, pubescent or sometimes glabrous; blades flat, relatively narrow, 1.5-4 mm wide, sometimes involute, upper surface glabrous, lower surface with scattered hairs, auricles absent.  Inflorescences paniculate, crowded, erect, 3-8 (-10) cm long, pedicels usually shorter than spikelets; spikelets 5-10 (-12)-flowered, (11-) 14-20 (-23) mm long, soft pubescent to glabrous; first glume lanceolate, 5-7.5 mm long, 3-5-nerved, second glume ovate to lanceolate, 6-8.5 mm long, 5-7-nerved; lemmas 7-9 (-10) mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide in side view, somewhat flattened, nerves relatively prominent, apex bifid, the teeth usually less than 2 mm long; awns 4-9 mm long, usually straight; palea about as long as lemma, 2-nerved, ciliate on the nerves, delicately membranous, adhering to caryopsis.  Caryopsis dark brown, flattened, slightly curved, thin, linear to oblong, 5-6 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1507-1508).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in disturbed, often dry areas such as pastures and along roadsides and trails, 610-2290 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1508).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Old World (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1508).

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	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "A weedy grass native to Europe and western Asia". Voucher cited: A.C. Beauglehole 5429 (CANB, MEL)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) "A weedy grass native to Europe and western Asia". Vouchers cited: P.S. Green 1508 (A, K), W.R. Sykes 766/87 (CHR), E. Ralston 49 (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)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 551)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1507-1508)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1507-1508) Voucher cited: Rock 5128 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1505-1506, 1507-1508, 1905) Also subsp. molliformis (Lloyd) Maire & Weiler; voucher cited: Lee 288 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (p. 6) Ssp. hordeaceus. Voucher cited: K.R. Wood & Hughes 10600.001 (PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (pp. 1505-1506, 1507-1508, 1905) Also subsp. molliformis (Lloyd) Maire & Weiler
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 363) "Roadsides and waste land".

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. 37)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 37)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Gansu, Hebei, Qinghai, Xinjiang.
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 363) "Roadsides and waste land".
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)

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

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

Taxonomic information about Bromus hordeaceus 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.

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.

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

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).

Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. 2007. New Hawaiian plant records for the island of Moloka‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2006. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96:1-8.

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