Bromus berteroanus
Chilean chess
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jim Morefield · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Bromus berteroanus (Chilean chess) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by bent twisted awns and long glumes distinctive.
Chilean chess is a naturalized annual grass found in the northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, central and western California, southwestern California, southeastern Sierra Nevada, and desert regions in open, sandy or gravelly soils at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to June, this grass produces pale green to tan spikelets 15 to 20 millimeters long with delicate, bent awns. Growing with tufted stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it spreads in loosely ascending clumps. Its leaves are sparsely to densely hairy, with blades 2 to 9 millimeters wide and short ligules 1 to 3 millimeters long. The spikelets feature 3 to 9 florets with lemmas having small teeth and distinctive twisted awns 14 to 22 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 33 sympatric species; bent twisted awns and long glumes distinctive
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, sandy or gravelly soils
Elevation: < 1700 m
California counties: San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Santa Clara, San Francisco, Orange, Trinity, Tulare, Marin, Madera, San Benito, Yolo, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Kings, Merced, Solano, Mono
Outside California: to Oregon, Nebraska, Arizona, also in northwestern Mexico, South America
Bloom period
Bromus berteroanus blooms Mar-Jun.
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 berteroanus native to California?
No. Bromus berteroanus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bromus berteroanus bloom?
Bromus berteroanus blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Bromus berteroanus grow?
Bromus berteroanus occurs in San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of < 1700 m.
What plant family does Bromus berteroanus belong to?
Bromus berteroanus is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus berteroanus grow in?
Bromus berteroanus grows in Open, sandy or gravelly soils.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.