Bromus porteri
Nodding brome
(c) Eric Lamb, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Bromus porteri (Nodding brome) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by small spikelets and short awns diagnostic.
Nodding brome is a California native perennial found in the southern Sierra Nevada, Santa Clara River Valley, southern Sierra foothills, and Sonoran Mojave transition zones on exposed slopes and open woodland at elevations of 550 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this grass produces delicate nodding flower branches with open, loose inflorescences 6 to 20 centimeters long. Growing 32 to 100 centimeters tall with ascending to drooping branches, it has distinctive grass stems with narrow leaves 2 to 5 millimeters wide. Its leaf blades are glabrous or slightly hairy, with short ligules 1 to 2 millimeters long, and each spikelet features hairy glumes 12 to 15 millimeters in length. The lemmas are softly hairy with short awns 1.5 to 3 millimeters long, giving the grass a delicate, nodding appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 sympatric species; small spikelets and short awns diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Exposed slopes, open woodland
Elevation: 550-3500 m
California counties: Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Inyo, Mono, Napa, Tehama, Kern, Fresno, Ventura, Tuolumne, Plumas, Sierra, Placer
Outside California: to British Columbia, Manitoba, Texas
Bloom period
Bromus porteri blooms Jul-Aug.
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 porteri native to California?
Yes. Bromus porteri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bromus porteri bloom?
Bromus porteri blooms Jul-Aug.
Where in California does Bromus porteri grow?
Bromus porteri occurs in Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Inyo, Mono, Napa, Tehama, Kern and other counties, at elevations of 550-3500 m.
What plant family does Bromus porteri belong to?
Bromus porteri is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus porteri grow in?
Bromus porteri grows in Exposed slopes, open woodland.
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.