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Rye brome

Bromus secalinus

Auricles

Absent.

Description

Annual or biennial 20-120 cm, loosely tufted or solitary. Flower head is an erect panicle, which droops or nods later. Spikelets are oval, many flowered and 1.2-2.4 cm long with short awns.

Leaf blade

Green, rough and loosely hairy. It is also long, pointed, and twisted.

Rye brome - young plant

Rye brome - young plant

Rye brome flower heads

Rye brome flower heads

Importance

Increasingly an arable problem spreading from field margins. Mainly in eastern England.

Ligule

Short: 1 - 2 mm. Toothed

On the left is rye brome (note the oval spikelet) and on the right is meadow brome (note the oblong spikelet)

Rye brome flower heads. © Blackthorn Arable.

Rye brome flower heads. © Blackthorn Arable.

Rye brome ligule. © Blackthorn Arable.