About Bromus commutatus Schrad.
Bromus commutatus Schrad. ranges in height from 40 to 120 cm. Its panicle measures 7–20 cm long; it is usually nodding and often spreading, but is erect when it first emerges. Its leaf sheaths are covered in hairs, while the upper leaf sheaths are usually hairless. Bromus commutatus is stouter than Bromus racemosus (smooth brome). Its flower head does not droop to one side, and it has a broader, elongated, branched flower head. This species grows in meadows, waste ground, road verges, hayfields and rough grassland. It occurs throughout the United Kingdom, and is common in England on the moist soils of water meadows; it is rare in Scotland, Ireland and Wales. It is naturally distributed across Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced into North America, and in the United States it is known by the common name 'Hairy Chess'. Its flowering period runs from May to July.
