Bromus

Bromus is a genus of grasses in the family Poaceae, commonly known as brome grasses. The genus is widespread in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas and includes many annual and perennial species. Bromus species occupy a range of habitats, from natural grasslands and woodlands to cultivated pastures and erosion-control plantings.

Morphologically, Bromus grasses are typically cool-season plants with leaf blades that can be flat or folded and a ligule that is usually membranous. They produce inflorescences that are slender panicles of spikelets; spikelet morphology varies among species, with some bearing awned lemmas and others that are relatively simple. Growth forms range from short, tussock-forming perennials to more sprawling annuals and rhizomatous types.

Numerous Bromus species have agricultural and horticultural value. Bromus inermis (smooth brome) is widely cultivated for pastures, forage, and soil stabilization, and Bromus catharticus (prairie brome) is grown in some regions for forage. Other species, such as Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), are notable as invasive weeds outside their native range, particularly in western North America, where they can outcompete native vegetation and contribute to altered fire regimes.

Ecology and management emphasize prevention of spread and appropriate disturbance control. In areas affected by cheatgrass, integrated approaches including grazing management, disturbance reduction, reseeding with competitive native or noninvasive species, and, where appropriate, targeted herbicide use are employed to mitigate impacts on ecosystems and fire risk.