Leaf
Marcel Etienne, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Barren brome
Bromus sterilis L.
Also known as: Sterile brome
Family: Poaceae
20 to 60 cm
Wasteland, path edges, banks, waste ground
Flowering: May – July
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to about -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Long, fine, stiff awns on each spikelet, which readily catch on clothing.
🍃 Leaves
Flat, hairy, light green
🌸 Flowers
Loose, drooping panicle, long tapering spikelets with long awns
🍎 Fruits
Slender grains extended by a long stiff awn
🪵 Bark
Erect tuft, drooping at maturity
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, North Africa, western Asia; very common in France on banks, wasteland and path edges
🐝 Value for pollinators
Wind-pollinated, of little interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Not cultivated, regarded as a weed of crops and meadows
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
🌿 Other Poaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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