False Brome

Brachypodium sylvaticum

Description

This perennial grass forms short, squatty, bunches. Its hollow stems bear soft, spreading hairs at the leaf nodes. The leaves are broad, flat, and bright green in color and remain so throughout the fall and part of winter. The margins and lower stems of the leaves are also hairy, and are open-sheathed at the base. The flowers are located on short, pale-green spikelets that noticeably droop and have short or no stalks. It could be confused with Bromus species, which are differentiated by their closed leaf sheaths and spikelets on long stalks.

Habitat

Closed-canopy coniferous forests, riparian forests, forest edges, open upland prairies, commercial timberlands

Distribution

West of Oregon Cascades and throughout Willamette Valley; isolated populations along Oregon Coast and in the far northern and far southern parts of the state. Oregon is the only state in the United States with established populations.

Impacts

Displaces native understory plants, suppresses forest regeneration, degrades wildlife habitat, and increases fire risk.

Dispersal Methods

Humans, animals, vehicles, wind, water, and regrowth from stem and root fragments as a result of cutting

Prevention

Look for the short-stalked spikelets and open leaf sheaths. The best way to prevent spread is to stop dispersal from human activity, animals, water and wind. One way to stop spread by vehicles of researchers, forest workers and recreational users is to mow before seeds set along roads and trails.

Listings

ODA

Factsheets

False Brome Working Group Fact Sheet
Weed Alert from The Global Invasive Species Initiative of The Nature Conservancy

Photos

http://www.weedmapper.org/brsypicture.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Brachypodium

Distribution Map

Distribution in Oregon

CWMA Warnings

Upper Willamette

Columbia Gorge

Four County

North Coast

Mid-Coast

WEEDIN

Multnomah Weed Watchers