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National Invasive Species Information Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Home / Terrestrial Invasives / Terrestrial Plants / Downy Brome

Downy Brome

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Downy brome
Cheatgrass, features; ligule - Photo by Fred Fishel; University of Missouri
Scientific Name: 

Bromus tectorum L. (ITIS)

Common Name: 

Downy brome, bronco grass, downy chess, drooping brome, June grass, early chess, military chess, cheatgrass

Native To: 

Eurasia (Bartlett et al. 2002)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 

1800s (Bartlett et al. 2002)

Means of Introduction: 

Introduced accidentally as a seed contaminant (Bartlett et al. 2002)

Impact: 

Crowds out native grasses (Mosley et al. 1999); creates wildfire hazards (Colorado State Parks 2005)

Spotlights

  • Cheating Cheatgrass (Oct 7, 2019)

    USDA. ARS. Tellus.

    ARS scientists in Nevada, studied ways to control cheatgrass and restore rangelands to a healthy mix of plants, which in turn reduces wildfire threats, supports wildlife, and increases sustainable grazing resources.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Images

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source. Or, to display all related content view all resources for Downy Brome.

Council or Task Force
Fact Sheet: Downy Brome (Jan 2014) (PDF | 737 KB)
Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).
See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act
Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands - Bromus tectorum

California Invasive Plant Council.

In online book: Bossard, C.C., J.M. Randall, and M.C. Hoshovsky (Editors). 2000. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA
Partnership
Alaska Exotic Plants Information Clearinghouse (AKEPIC): Species Biography - Cheatgrass (Feb 7, 2011) (PDF | 164 KB)
University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Center for Conservation Science.
See also: Non-Native Plant Species List for additional factsheets (species biographies) and species risk assessment reports of non-native species present in Alaska and also non-native species currently not recorded in Alaska (potential invasives)
Global Invasive Species Database - Bromus tectorum (grass)
IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Cheatgrass
University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Invasive Species Compendium - Bromus tectorum
CAB International.
Texas Invasives Database - Bromus tectorum
TexasInvasives.org.
Federal Government
Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Bromus tectorum
USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.
PLANTS Database - Cheatgrass
USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.
See also: Plant Guide - Cheatgrass (PDF | 110 KB)
U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Bromus tectorum
USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.
International Government
Problem Weeds: A Cattlemen's Guide - Downy Brome
Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (Canada).
State and Local Government
Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Cheatgrass and Poverty Brome (PDF | 903 KB)
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands
Noxious Weed Species - Downy Brome
Colorado Department of Agriculture. Conservation Services Division. Noxious Weed Program.
Academic
Cheatgrass Management Handbook: Managing an Invasive Annual Grass in the Rocky Mountain Region (Aug 2013)
University of Wyoming; Colorado State University.
MontGuide - Cheatgrass: Identification, Biology, and Integrated Management (2012)
Montana State University Extension.
A Homeowner's Guide to Cheatgrass (PDF | 126 KB)

University of Nevada - Reno. Cooperative Extension.

Downy Brome Control
University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Cooperative Extension.
Range Plants of Utah - Cheatgrass

Utah State University. Extension.

Citations