Bromus arvensis
Field brome
(c) Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Bromus arvensis (Field brome) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by montane habitat and long anthers.
Field brome is a naturalized annual grass found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in open places at an elevation of 1,768 meters. Flowering in July, this plant produces purple-tinged spikelets in narrow to open inflorescences up to 18 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 30 to 127 centimeters tall, it has distinctively soft-hairy lower leaf sheaths. Its leaves have blades 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide with a small ligule 1.5 to 2.6 millimeters long. Each spikelet contains 5 to 14 florets with awns 4 to 11 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species; montane habitat and long anthers help distinguish
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open places
Elevation: 1768 m
Outside California: northeastern United States, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Bromus arvensis blooms Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Nassella: Bromus has closed leaf sheaths and large spikelets; Nassella has open sheaths and needle-like awns.; vs Hordeum: Bromus has separate large spikelets; Hordeum has three spikelets grouped at each node.; vs Avena: Bromus lemmas have two teeth at tip; Avena lemmas have a twisted awn from the back.; vs Lolium: Bromus spikelets are stalked in clusters; Lolium spikelets sit edgewise against the stem.; vs Festuca: Bromus leaf sheaths are closed; Festuca sheaths split open halfway down.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bromus arvensis native to California?
No. Bromus arvensis is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bromus arvensis bloom?
Bromus arvensis blooms Jul.
What plant family does Bromus arvensis belong to?
Bromus arvensis is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus arvensis grow in?
Bromus arvensis grows in Open places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.