Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Map
Distribution of Brachypodium sylvaticum subsp. sylvaticum
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Introduction
This introduced and highly invasive grass species is reported in North America from Oregon. It was reported for British Columbia in 2008 by Jamie Fenneman, who found it growing along roadside and forest edges in the Cowichan Lake area, where the population is reported as extensive and extending for several kilometres west of Youbou (Fenneman 2010).
Fenneman describes the species as follows: "This is a large and relatively distinctive grass, and is unlike any other native or naturalized grass in British Columbia. It is a perennial and loosely cespitose species, with erect or ascending culms reaching a height of 120 cm or more. The nodes are pubescent (the best identification character of sterile plants!), and the broad (5-12 mm), flat, lax leaves are sparsely pilose on both surfaces. The racemes are suberect to pendent, and contain 3-12 rather distant spikelets arising directly from the rachis on short (<2 mm) pedicels. The spikelets are large (2-3 cm in total length), terete, and contain 6-16 (rarely more) florets. The glumes are unequal, acute, and usually pubescent, with the lower glumes 6-9 mm long and the upper glumes 8-11 mm long. The lemmas are 6-12 mm in length, lanceolate, and sparsely hairy on the backs, with straight or weakly flexuous awns 7-15 mm in length." (Fenneman 2010). |
Status Information
Similar Species
Fenneman (2010) describes this species as somewhat similar to Bromus vulgaris, with a similar pendant inflorescence and large size. However, the two species differ based on the appearance of the spikelets: Fenneman says: "In Brachypodium, the spikelets arise singly from the rachis and are on very short pedicels. Bromus vulgaris, in comparison, has a branched inflorescence with the spikelets at relatively long pedicels."
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