Bromus tectorum is native to southern Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. Its presence in southwestern U.S. vegetation has contributed to shorter wildfire intervals and more intense fires, and altered the timing of fires, degrading native plant communities. Due to its ability to survive these fires, the effect has been self-promotion.
Cheatgrass is an annual grass growing 2 to 35 inches tall. The green flowers are small and inconspicuous, and are arranged at the end of short branches along a typically drooping stem. Flowers are pollinated by wind and by self-pollination.
Cheatgrass grows well on almost any soil, but prefers coarse-textured soils, sandy or gravelly, especially when on disturbed sites; it is found throughout most of the dry regions of the United States. It is common in Great Basin plant communities; mixed-grass prairies of the northern states; salt desert scrub, pinyon-juniper, and aspen and conifer communities. It generally does not tolerate shading.
Cheatgrass is a USA-NPN regional plant species. Regional species are ecologically or economically important but are distributed more locally than calibration species. The NPN integrates these observations to understand better plant responses within the different geographic regions of the nation. In addition, this species is an allergen. Observations on its phenology will provide valuable information to benefit people with allergies and the public health community. Also, this species is potentially invasive. Observations on its phenology will provide valuable information toward understanding its potential for spread and for its control. The NPN does not promote planting or cultivation of this or any invasive plant.
If drought seems to be the cause of leaf withering for a plant, please make a comment about it for that observation.
Do you see...?
Initial growth New growth of the plant is visible after a period of no growth (winter or drought), either as new green shoots sprouting from nodes on existing stems, or new green shoots breaking through the soil surface. For each shoot, growth is considered "initial" until the first leaf has unfolded. More...
Leaves One or more live, green, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once it unrolls slightly from around the stem and begins to fall away at an angle from the stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
What percentage of the plant is green?
Less than 5%
5-24%
25-49%
50-74%
75-94%
95% or more
Flower heads One or more fresh flower heads (inflorescences) are visible on the plant. Flower heads, which include many small flowers arranged in spikelets, emerge from inside the stem and gradually grow taller. Include flower heads with unopened or open flowers, but do not include heads whose flowers have all wilted or dried.
How many fresh flower heads are present?
Less than 3
3 to 10
11 to 100
101 to 1,000
More than 1,000
Open flowers One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. A flower is considered "open" when reproductive parts (male anthers or female stigmata) can be seen protruding from the spikelet. Do not include flowers with wilted or dried reproductive parts.
What percentage of all fresh flowers (unopened plus open) on the plant are open?
Pollen release One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface.
How much pollen is released?
Little: Only a few grains are released.
Some: Many grains are released.
Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows
Fruits One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Bromus tectorum, the fruit is a tiny grain, hidden within tiny bracts and grouped into small clusters that hang on the end of branches along a drooping seed head, that changes texture from soft or watery to hard and drops from the plant. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their grains.
How many fruits are present?
Ripe fruits One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Bromus tectorum, a fruit is considered ripe when it is hard when squeezed and difficult to divide with a fingernail, or when it readily drops from the plant when touched. Do not include seed heads that have already dropped all of their grains.
What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?
Recent fruit or seed drop One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?
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