Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus
Great basin brome, colorado brome
Photo: parent species Bromus sitchensis · (c) crothfels, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus (Great basin brome) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by elevation, large size, and glabrous sheaths distinguish from other varieties.
Great basin brome is a California native perennial grass found in open habitats of the Great Basin region on open slopes and meadows at elevations of 1,200 to 3,100 meters. Flowering in August, this plant produces grass-like spikelets with pale green to straw-colored flowers in an open branching inflorescence 15 to 25 centimeters long. Growing 60 to 120 centimeters tall with erect to ascending stems, it forms a robust, clump-like bunch grass. Its leaf blades are distinctively wide, measuring 6 to 12 millimeters across, with smooth leaf sheaths and a ligule 2 to 2.5 millimeters long. The spikelets are large, measuring 30 to 35 millimeters, with delicate awned lemmas 12 to 15 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species; elevation, large size, and glabrous sheaths distinguish from other varieties
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open slopes, meadows
Elevation: 1200-3100 m
Outside California: to Oregon, Texas
Bloom period
Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus blooms 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 sitchensis var. polyanthus native to California?
Yes. Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus bloom?
Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus blooms Aug.
What plant family does Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus belong to?
Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus is in the Poaceae family, genus Bromus.
What habitat does Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus grow in?
Bromus sitchensis var. polyanthus grows in Open slopes, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.