Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus
Maritime brome
Photo: parent species Bromus sitchensis · (c) crothfels, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus (Maritime brome) is a native California perennial in the Poaceae family, recognized by coastal habitat and dense overlapping inflorescence diagnostic.
Maritime brome is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including North Coast, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, northern southern California, and Channel Islands in dunes and coastal meadows at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale green to light brown flowers in dense spikelets 20 to 40 millimeters long with overlapping branches. Growing 20 to 80 centimeters tall with erect to ascending stems, it forms a robust grass-like clump with smooth, occasionally rough leaf blades. Its leaves have broad blades 3 to 12 millimeters wide with short ligules 1 to 6 millimeters long, creating a distinctive grassy appearance. The spikelets feature hairy lemmas with slender awns 3.5 to 7 millimeters long, giving the plant a delicate, textured look.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 26 sympatric species; coastal habitat and dense overlapping inflorescence diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dunes, coastal meadows
Elevation: < 200 m
California counties: Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Ventura, Mendocino, Monterey, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Alameda
Outside California: to Oregon
Bloom period
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus blooms Apr-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 sitchensis var. maritimus native to California?
Yes. Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus bloom?
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus grow?
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus occurs in Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Ventura and other counties, at elevations of < 200 m.
What plant family does Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus belong to?
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus grow in?
Bromus sitchensis var. maritimus grows in Dunes, coastal meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.