Bromus tectorum
Bromus tectorum
Safety & Hazards
The awns of the plant can cause mechanical injury to grazing animals[ 274 Title Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Publication Author Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Website http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm Publisher Botanical Research Institute, Texas. Year 1999 ISBN 1-889878-01-4 Description An excellent flora, which is also available on-line. ]. The caryopsis is covered with silicon barbs that aid in attachment to wool, hair and clothing and has a recurved, sharp-tipped awn. The awn moves with wetting and drying, forcing the sharp point of the caryopses deeper into wool or hair and even into the flesh, eyes, ears or toes of animals[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].
Botanical Description
Bromus tectorum is an erect, clump-forming annual grass; it can grow up to 50cm tall., though can also flower when only 3cm tall in very poor growing conditions[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. This species is a widespread weed, adventive in most temperate regions of the world[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. It is a highly invasive exotic weed that can remain a dominant species for prolonged periods of time. It is one of the few invasive annual exotic species that is a major weed of rangelands and agronomic fields in North America[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant has tremendous phenotypic plasticity, with self fertilization permitting continuous replication of successful genotypes, and occasional out-crossing inducing genotypic variability and adaptation to new environments. Seeds have the advantage of simultaneous germination and, through dormancy acquired in the seedbed, continuous germination and the development of large, persistent seedbanks. It also has an excellent long-distance seed dispersal mechanism through contamination of seed lots of crop species and through wool, hair, clothing, and vehicle contamination[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. The plant has been shown to significantly reduce cereal yields where it is a weed and also, where it invades native range, to greatly increase the risk and severity of wild fires[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].