weedy brome
Bromus alopecuros Poir.
Weedy brome is a Mediterranean annual with a compact flower head whose twisting awns become conspicuous as it ripens. Introduced populations occur in agricultural landscapes, including wheat-growing areas of Australia. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, NSW Flora: Bromus alopecuros
Botanical name
The cited authority recognizes Bromus alopecuros Poir. as a species. Kew POWO: Bromus alopecuros
Recognizing the plant
Bromus alopecuros produces a dense, upright flowering panicle, while the awns on its florets twist near their bases and curl away as the head matures. Those bristle-like extensions, together with hairy leaf sheaths and spikelets, give a close view much more texture than the outline of a grass stem suggests. The New South Wales account describes a slender annual reaching around sixty centimetres, with stems often bent near the base and flat, narrow leaf blades. Each spikelet holds several florets. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, NSW Flora: Bromus alopecuros
Bloom window
New South Wales, Australia
The New South Wales flora records spring flowering in introduced Australian populations. There it grows in wheat-producing areas, bringing its dense, awned heads into agricultural landscapes. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, NSW Flora: Bromus alopecuros
Native range
Kew places its native range in the central and eastern Mediterranean region. It has also travelled well beyond that range, including to Australia and California. Kew POWO: Bromus alopecuros
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.