We are following the treatment in the online database 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families'. However, some new treatments view this species in a looser sense as comprised of two vars;- Bromus carinatus var carinatus and Bromus carinatus var marginatus (which is treated here as a distinct species Bromus marginatus)[].

Common Name: Californian Brome

General Information

Bromus carinatus is an erect, annual to biennial or short-lived perennial grass growing 40 - 50cm tall266].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

The long, sharp-awned fruits can be very dangerous if swallowed[].

Botanical References

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Range

Western N. America - British Columbia to California, Baja California and New Mexico.

Habitat

Various habitats from moist woods to dry open meadows or sagebrush covered hills, sometimes to the timber line[]. Found naturalized along the Thames at Kew and Oxford[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Wind, Cleistogamous
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Bromus carinatus is a plant of the temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 10 - 18°c, but can tolerate 2 - 22°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -5°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 900mm, but tolerates 350 - 1,100mm[].
Succeeds in a sunny position in most well-drained soils[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[].
A potential perennial cereal crop, it is able to survive summer droughts without needing irrigation[].
The plant has cleistogamous flowers - these do not open in the usual way but are self-pollinated by the plant.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, ]. Used as a piñole[].The dried seed can be ground into a powder and mixed with water to make a mush or made into bread[]. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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.