Downy brome
June 10, 2015
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EmailBromus tectorum L. Poaceae (Grass family)
Life cycle
Prostrate winter annual.
Downy brome plant.
Leaves
Both leaf surfaces and sheath are densely hairy. Leaves are rolled in the bud. Light green leaves have a distinctive twist and are soft to the touch.
Ligule
Membranous with a fringe of hairs.
Stems
Erect and clump-forming, up to 24 inches tall.
Flowers and fruit
The seedhead is a soft, dense, purple-tinged, drooping panicle at maturity that produces large, yellowish brown seeds. Seeds also have characteristically long awns.
Reproduction
Seeds.
Downy brome in wheat.
Similar weeds:
Cheat (Bromus secalinus L.)
Differs by having smooth or sparsely hairy leaves and shorter awns than those of downy brome.
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