woodland brome, Bromus laevipes, May–August, Native
narrow-flowered brome grass, B. vulgaris, May-July

Bromus laevipes has normally somewhat shorter flowering branches than California brome, borne on stems with shorter internodes, woodland brome (and its dried stalk too) has a crosier-like inflorescence, and usually offers a handshake. The lemma backs are rounded rather than keeled, and can be densely hairy--or not. Young spikelets are more or less cylindrical. Mature spikelets, however, are clearly laterally compressed. Woodland brome grows on serpentine and is widespread on the Preserve, usually in partial shade. It flowers later than California brome.

A form of woodland brome with glumes and lemmas evenly puberulent, mentioned in the Jepson Manual, has been called Bromus pseudolaevipes and is vouchered in the JRBP herbarium.

B. vulgaris looks very much like woodland brome but is typically taller with wider leaves and larger diameter stems, and grows in and around redwood groves on trails 1 and 2, where it is common.

Photographs of Bromus laevipes by Craig Cummings, June 26, 2006.

Name: ancient Gk name | polished.