Bromus orcuttianus
Orcutt's brome
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Bromus orcuttianus (Orcutt's brome) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by prow-tipped blades and few stem nodes diagnostic.
Orcutt's brome is a California native perennial grass found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Modoc Plateau in dry meadows, scrub, and open forest at elevations of 560 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to July, this grass produces open branching inflorescences with spikelets 20 to 40 millimeters long in spreading clusters. Growing 75 to 150 centimeters tall with 2 to 3 stem nodes, it has distinctive long grass blades 7 to 24 centimeters in length with prow-shaped tips. Its stem sheaths are hairy while the blades remain glabrous, with a ligule 1 to 3 millimeters long. The grass produces lemmas with awns 5 to 7 millimeters long, adding texture to its delicate flowering structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 33 sympatric species; prow-tipped blades and few stem nodes diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry places, meadows, scrub, open forest
Elevation: 560-3500 m
California counties: Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Nevada, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Amador, Mariposa, San Diego, Trinity, Madera, Placer, San Bernardino, Yuba, Mendocino, Los Angeles, Lake, Glenn, Calaveras, Kern, Lassen, Ventura, Alpine, Modoc, Sierra, Colusa, Del Norte, Mono, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Riverside, Monterey, Alameda
Outside California: to Washington, western Nevada,
Bloom period
Bromus orcuttianus blooms Jun-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 orcuttianus native to California?
Yes. Bromus orcuttianus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bromus orcuttianus bloom?
Bromus orcuttianus blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Bromus orcuttianus grow?
Bromus orcuttianus occurs in Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Nevada, Plumas, San Luis Obispo, Shasta and other counties, at elevations of 560-3500 m.
What plant family does Bromus orcuttianus belong to?
Bromus orcuttianus is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus orcuttianus grow in?
Bromus orcuttianus grows in dry places, meadows, scrub, open forest.
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.