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Home/Species/ Hairy Woodland Brome

Bromus pubescens

Muhl. ex Willd.

Hairy Woodland Brome

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.152375
Element CodePMPOA15140
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderCyperales
FamilyPoaceae
GenusBromus
Other Common Names
Brome pubescent (FR) Canada Brome (EN) Common Eastern Brome (EN) hairy woodland brome (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
The name Bromus purgans has been used for plants referred to by Kartesz (1999) as B. kalmii, B. latiglumis, and B. pubescens; Kartesz does not recognize B. purgans as occurring within the range of the Synopsis.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-07-09
Change Date1999-05-25
Edition Date2025-07-09
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Bromus pubescens is a perennial grass found throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its preference for rocky, often steep habitats may protect it from some disturbance such as development and logging. With a broad range, many occurrences, and a preference for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Bromus pubescens is widespread in the eastern United States from the eastern Great Plains to the east coast, with isolated occurrences in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming and the mountains of Colorado and Arizona (FNA 2007, GBIF 2025). It is also found in southern Canada from Manitoba to New Brunswick. Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are more than 800 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
While many occurrences of this species have no known threats due to inaccessible habitats, at least one occurrence was impacted by road widening and subsequent road shoulder replanting and mowing (NatureServe 2025).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Bromus pubescens grows in rich bottomland forests and shaded, moist, upland deciduous woods, especially on rocky slopes and bluffs, usually in soils influenced by circumneutral or basic bedrock (FNA 2007, Chayka 2025, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodWoodland - Hardwood
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS3Yes
FloridaSNRYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
LouisianaS2Yes
WyomingSHYes
New YorkSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
North CarolinaS4Yes
DelawareS2Yes
MarylandSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
MaineS2Yes
IowaS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
KansasS3Yes
MichiganSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
New HampshireS1Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
OhioS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
VermontS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS1Yes
New BrunswickS1Yes
OntarioS4Yes
QuebecS2Yes
SaskatchewanS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
4 - Transportation & service corridorsSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsSmall (1-10%)UnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
References (9)
  1. Chayka, K. 2025. Minnesota Wildflowers. https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, N.C.
  6. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).
  9. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).