Botanical name: Bromus diandrus    Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
Synonyms: Bromus gussonei, Bromus pallens, Bromus pilosus

Ripgut Grass is an annual grass that is 1-3 feet in height with hairy, rough leaves about 1 cm wide. The membranous ligule is prominent, white with spiky hairs. The wide panicle nods like that of an oat plant, and it bears a large, splayed spikelet with a very long awn which can exceed 5 cm in length. The seeds easily break out of the spikelet. They are very sharp and very rough due to tiny barb-like hairs that face backward, allowing the seed to catch and lodge-like a fish hook. This characteristic makes the seeds a danger to animals, which can easily get a seed lodged in a paw or eye. Motion can cause the seed to work itself deeper into the flesh. Brome grass is native to the Mediterranean but has been introduced to much of the rest of the world. It can substantially reduce yields when it invades wheat fields. It has naturalized in some areas and is considered a troublesome noxious weed in others.

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The flower labeled Ripgut Grass is ...