Bromus hordeaceus
Synonyms: Bromus confertus Boreau. (B. racemosus and B. scoparious mistakenly used in some older references)
Common names: soft brome; soft chess; lopgrass
Bromus hordeaceus (soft brome) is an annual grass (family Poaceae) distributed at low elevation areas in California, especially in disturbed and open areas. Bromus hordeaceus out competes native grasses and is commonly eaten by range animals, although its forage value is very low. It can invade soils with low fertility, such as the serpentine soils that are home to rare plant species.
Cal-IPC Rating: Limited?CDFA Rating: None?
Assessment(s)
Plant Assessment Form - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
Weed Management Notes
- Management Notes - Information on management techniques and effectiveness from the University of California Cooperative Extension’s Weed Research & Information Center.
Cal-IPC Newsletter Articles
- Exploring alternative methods for vegetation control and maintenance along roadsides. Young, Steve L.. Vol 10, Issue 4
- BLM uses heavy equipment to give weeds the heave-ho!. Wheeler, Jennifer. Vol 08, Issue 2
- The use of fire for yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) management and restoration of native grasslands at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Hastings, Marla; DiTomaso, Joe. Vol 04, Issue 1
Cal-IPC Symposium Presentations
Presentations are linked where available. Where a presentation is not available, find more information by reading the abstract in the Cal-IPC Symposia Archive.
- Using selective herbicides to control invasive annual grasses. Echols, Aaron (2022)
- Utilizing pathways of invader dominance to identify natives of concern. LaForgia, Marina (2021)
Other Bromus hordeaceus Information
- CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.
- Calflora - Distribution map and records of this species in California.
- CalWeedMapper - Distribution map of this species in California with ability to determine regional priorities.
- EDDMapS - Distribution of this species in North America.
- Jepson Interchange - Information on this plant's taxonomy, biology, and distribution from UC Berkeley's Jepson Herbarium.
- USDA PLANTS Database - Information on identification and distribution, with links to websites in individual states.