Mountain Brome (Bromus breviaristatus)

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Gramineae
Genus: Bromus
Life cycle: perennial
Height: 0.75 m
Fertility: Wind
Flower type: hermaphrodite
Pollinators: Wind

Uses

Edible uses

Seed - cooked^[2]^[6]. Used as a piñole^[3]. The seed is very small and fiddly to use[K].

Plant part: Seed

Environment

Range: Western N. America - Manitoba to British Columbia, south to Iowa, Arizona and California.
Habitat: Various habitats from moist woods to dry open meadows or sagebrush covered hills, sometimes to the timber line^[7].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: light shade
Water: moderate
Soil textures: sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage: well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ and only just cover. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. If seed is in short supply it can be surface sown in a cold frame in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. Division in spring. Large clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions whilst it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are ready to be planted out.

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This plant has potential as a perennial cereal. The seed is small but can be harvested 2 - 3 times a year if the plants are well grown and fertilized^[3]. It is considered to be a part of B. carinatus by some botanists^[7]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in a sunny position in most well-drained soils^[1]^[4].

Bromus carinatusCalifornian Brome
Bromus inermisSmooth Brome
Bromus japonicusJapanese Chess
Bromus mangoMango

References

Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
↩
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
↩
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
↩1 ↩2
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩
Hitchcock. A. S. Manual of the Grasses of the United States Dover Publications. New York. 1971-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22717-0
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
↩
Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00
↩1 ↩2