BROME-GRASS, Brom us; Gr. bromos, a kind of oat; a genus of grasses, very nearly allied to fescue (q.v.), with flowers in lax panicles, glumes many-flowered, the outer pales bifid at the extremity, and awned beneath, and the very short stigma growing from the face of the germen, beneath its apex. The species are numerous, and sonic of them are very common British grasses—none more so than the SOFT B. (B. ynollis), an annual or biennial, which has very soft downy leaves, grows well on poor soils, and is readily eaten by cattle, but is not much esteemed by farmers, either for the quantity or quality of fodder which it yields. Its seeds have also the reputation of possessing dele terious or poisonous properties: and those of two other species of this genus, B. purge as and B. catharticus, the former a native of North America, and the latter of Chili, are said to be %emetic and purgative. The whole subject of the existence of poisonous proper ties in the seeds of any of these grasses, requires further investigation. Soft B., although now disliked by farmers, was formerly sown as a fodder-grass, and its large seeds were even regarded as making hay more nutritious; so that there are some who view its pres ent proscription as a thing which ought to be reconsidered, and who deem it not improba ble that its weighty produce, both in foliage and seeds, and its adaptation to poor soils, may yet recommend it to the favor of agriculturists. Very similar to it are SMOOTII B.
(B. racemosus), FIELD B. or MEADOW B. (B. commutatus or B. pratensiS, and B. arven sis), all of which seem very much to resemble it in their properties.—The TALL B. (B. giganteus, also known as festuca gigantea and bucetum oganteum), a native of Britain, which reaches the height of 4 or even 5 ft., affords a great bulk of foliage, but is not much relished by cattle. Naturally growing in shady places, it succeeds even in dense woods, and is sometimes sown to form covert for game.—RYE B. (B. secalinus) is gener ally regarded as a troublesome weed, especially in fields of rye. It is very abundant in some parts of Europe. In a young state it has a great resemblance to rye. It seeds, which are large, retain their power of germination for years, and do not lose it by pass ing through the intestines of animal. Deleterious effects have'been erroneously ascribed to bread made from rye, along with which these seeds have been ground; but poultry are very fond of them, as of those of other species of this genus.