Foxtail chess is native throughout Europe and the British Isles [36,41,46,49,76,80,83]. In western North America, it occurs widely in coastal and central California and is also recorded from Reno, Nevada, and Portland, Oregon [66,84]. It has a scattered distribution to the east, occurring in Michigan, Virginia, and Mississippi [47]. It is also introduced in Hawaii [75].
Red brome is native to southern Europe [80]. In North America, it is distributed from central Washington south to Baja California and east to central Idaho, southwestern Texas, and Sonora [66,84]. It is casually adventive in the Northeast [36] and introduced in Hawaii [75]. PLANTS database provides distributional maps of foxtail chess and of red brome.
Foxtail chess and red brome prefer disturbed sites in Mediterranean climates [41,66]. Elevational ranges are described below by state:
Regional: In California, foxtail chess prefers areas receiving less than 9.8 inches (250 mm) annual rainfall [8]. Foxtail chess is a dominant species in California valley grasslands receiving less than 7.5 inches (190 mm) rainfall [40], and is abundant in California valley grasslands receiving less than 12 inches (305 mm) annual precipitation. In areas with annual precipitation greater than 12 inches (305 m), foxtail chess is replaced by soft chess (Bromus mollis) [7,8].
Bowers [19] monitored the relative abundance of northern Mojave Desert annuals over 6 years in relation to precipitation. Red brome density was highest during years receiving 2.4 to 4.2 inches (63-109 mm) precipitation; results are summarized below:
Pre-census precipitation (mm) between 1970-1976:
The presence of foxtail chess and red brome are closely related to annual precipitation. They are commonly early or mid-seral species where annual precipitation is greater than 9.8 inches (250 mm) [40].
Red brome is commonly an early to mid-seral species in California chaparral. It is usually sparse in early succession chaparral systems of northern California but may increase rapidly in areas of low soil fertility and moisture [16]. Peak population numbers require several years for seed dispersal into burns or buildup from on-site producers. Continued disturbance such as grazing and repeated low-severity fires favor red brome over native early-seral chaparral species [52].
Within blackbrush communities of Nevada, red brome persists in high-density stands for many years [10].
There is taxonomic disagreement about foxtail chess (Bromus madritensis L.) (Poaceae) in the
strict sense. Following the systematics of several authorities, this report uses the scientific name
Bromus madritensis L. for foxtail chess and Bromus rubens L. for red brome [36,47,49,80,82,83].
Some systematists recognize these entities as subspecies of foxtail chess:
the type subspecies (Bromus madritensis ssp. madritensis) and
red brome (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens (L.) Husnot) [41,46].
There is consensus that the 2 entities are very closely related [1,84], with both
scientific names used in current literature.
Bromus madritensis is a species of brome grass known by the common name compact brome. The specific epithet madritensis refers to Madrid, Spain. It has a diploid number of 28.
There are two subspecies:
Bromus madritensis is an winter annual grass, growing solitary or tufted, with erect or ascending culms growing 20–70 cm (7.9–27.6 in) high. The leaf sheaths are downy or slightly hairy. The grass lacks auricles and the glabrous ligules are 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long. Its flat leaf blades are either glabrous or slightly hairy, and measure 4–20 cm (1.6–7.9 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide. The erect and ellipsoid panicles are 3–12 cm (1.2–4.7 in) long and 2–6 cm (0.79–2.36 in) wide, with short branches that ascend and slightly spread. The branches never droop and bear one or two spikelets each. The spikelets are 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4 in) long, longer than the panicle branches, and bear seven to eleven florets. The spikelets vary in color from green to distinctly purplish-red. The lightly hairy glumes taper at their ends and have translucent margins. The lower glumes are one-nerved and 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, and the upper glumes are three-nerved and 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long. The glabrous and slightly rough lemmas are 1.5–2 cm (0.59–0.79 in) long. The lemmas are hairier towards their edges and have five to seven veins. The awns are about the same length, 1.2–2.3 cm (0.47–0.91 in) long, and curve slightly. The anthers are 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long. The caryopses are as long as 11 mm (0.43 in).[2][3]
The grass emerges in early winter and remains dormant until spring when heavy rainfall and higher temperatures stimulate growth. Plants flower from this period typically until May when water stress inhibits the grass. Populations grow during periods of heavy rainfall and populations can be wiped out during extended periods of drought.[4]
The grass alters soil conditions and the competition brought about by the grass both negatively affect native plant populations, and the highly flammable nature of the grass produces wildfires in North American communities where fire was previously rare. Dry florets of the weed entangle themselves in animal hair and can tear at the digestive tracts of foraging livestock.[4]
Bromus madritensis is native to southern and western Europe but has been introduced and naturalized nearly worldwide. In North America it is found primarily in the western United States, in Oregon, California, and Arizona. The grass was brought to North America in 1848 and was naturalized by the 1890s.
In its native range the grass grows in cultivated fields and steppes, and in North America it grows in waste areas, road verges, and disturbed areas, in both ranges primarily on dry stony or sandy soil.[3] In California, the weedy grass occurs in areas disturbed by wildfires. It grows from sea level to elevations of 1,300 m (4,300 ft).[4]
Bromus madritensis is a species of brome grass known by the common name compact brome. The specific epithet madritensis refers to Madrid, Spain. It has a diploid number of 28.
There are two subspecies:
Bromus madritensis subsp. madritensis: panicles less dense, stem and leaf sheath less hairy Bromus madritensis subsp. rubens (syn. Bromus rubens) – foxtail brome, foxtail chess, red brome: dense panicles and slightly hairy stems
