Bromus hordeaceus
Soft chess
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Bromus hordeaceus (Soft chess) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by dense inflorescence and wide lemmas with raised veins.
Soft chess is a naturalized annual grass found in California in fields and disturbed areas at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale green to straw-colored flowers in dense, erect to spreading inflorescences 2.5 to 13 centimeters long. Growing 11 to 65 centimeters tall with hairy stems and an upright habit, it forms dense clusters of grass-like growth. Its leaves are soft and hairy, with narrow blades 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide and short ligules 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. The slender spikelets feature awns 4 to 10 millimeters long, giving the plant a delicate, feathery appearance in grassland settings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species; dense inflorescence and wide lemmas with raised veins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Fields, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1000(2560) m
California counties: Humboldt, Placer, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Kern, San Diego, Alameda, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Lake, Madera, Mendocino, Mono, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo, Marin, Merced, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Lassen, Napa, San Joaquin, Sutter, Nevada, Amador, Yuba, Modoc, Kings, Glenn, Alpine, Mariposa, Plumas, San Benito, Shasta, Del Norte
Outside California: to British Columbia, eastern North America, Baja California, native to Europe
Bloom period
Bromus hordeaceus blooms Apr-Jul.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
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 hordeaceus native to California?
No. Bromus hordeaceus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Bromus hordeaceus bloom?
Bromus hordeaceus blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Bromus hordeaceus grow?
Bromus hordeaceus occurs in Humboldt, Placer, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Kern, San Diego, Alameda, Butte and other counties, at elevations of < 1000(2560) m.
What plant family does Bromus hordeaceus belong to?
Bromus hordeaceus is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
Is Bromus hordeaceus invasive in California?
Bromus hordeaceus is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
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.