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Red
Brome
Common
Name(s):
Red Brome
Foxtail Chess
Scientific
Name:
Bromus
rubens L.
Scientific
Name Synonyms:
None known
Symbol:
BRRU2
Description:
Life
Span: Winter
annual
Origin:Introduced
Season: Cool
Growth Characteristics:
Cool
season annual with several to numerous stems from an erect to spreading
base, growing 8 to 20 inches tall.
Seedhead:Erect, dense, compact, almost
spike-like panicle, 2 to 3 inches long, reddish-purple when mature;
lemmas with awns ½ to 1 inch long.
Leaves: Pubescent; blades short, narrow,
flat, with veins prominent on both surfaces; sheaths papery; leaves
rolled in bud; ligule up to 1/8 inch long.
Ecological
Adaptations:
Red brome is an
introduced grass adapted to the warmer climates of Utah, found mostly
in the semi-desert summer precipitation of southern Utah where the
rainfall is 8 to 10 inches annually. It occurs at elevations from
2500 up to 5500 feet.
Soils: It grows in a wide range of
soils from shallow to deep and from fine to coarse textures. It
does well in limy soils and on hardpan soil.
Associated Species:
Associated
species include blackbrush,
indigobush, sunflower, sand
dropseed, and spike dropseed.
Uses and
Management:
Red
brome is an important forage for cattle and desert tortoise in the
early spring. Generally, it is not considered a good forage plant
because of the short season of growth. It is a very poor erosion
control plant, and provides abundant fuel for wildfire. Red Brome
is an indicator of deteriorated range or disturbed sites.
Good management should strive to replace red brome with native range
plants high in desirability in terms of volume of production and,
more especially, in terms of wind and water erosion control.
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