Bromus tectorum

Cheatgrass

Field view of droopy Bromus tectorum, common name Cheatgrass.

A view too common: dry cheatgrass taking over a field.

The typical drooping panicles of Cheatgrass.

Even the lax leaves of Cheatgrass droop.

Close view of Cheatgrass inflorescence.

The spikelets are narrow and the awns are straight and about 1/2 inch.

Dry panicles spread out.

Young straight spikelets next to old spread ones.

Cheatgrass roots.

How to Identify Cheatgrass

  Cheatgrass is a very invasive annual. It is short, below knee high, and very droopy. It has narrow spikelets and straight awns about 1/2 inch long. It is ubiquitous in every Arizona county.

Similar Species

  A common look-alike is Japanese Brome (Bromus japonicus). Japanese Brome patches grow amongst patches of Cheatgrass, but they stand out because, once dry, Japanese Brome is a rich golden color. But best of all, it has bent awns, the key difference. Fringed Brome (Bromus ciliatus) and other bromes can be quite droopy, but are larger and taller than Cheatgrass and have larger spikelets. A dry field of the invasive grass Red Brome (Bromus rubens) looks superficially like Cheatgrass but is quite different up close, with a very crowded upright seedhead.