Bromus tectorum

It is an invasive annual grass that originated in Eurasia and was introduced to North America in the 1800s. It is a major problem in the western United States because it outcompetes native plants, disrupts fire cycles by creating more fuel, and can lead to more frequent and intense wildfires. It is identifiable by its drooping, hairy seed heads and its tendency to turn reddish-tan as it matures. Anisantha tectorum. Bromus tectorum is a winter annual grass native to Eurasia usually germinating in autumn, overwintering as a seedling, then flowering in the spring or early summer. The stems are smooth (glabrous) and slender. The leaves are hairy (pubescent) and have sheaths that are separate except at the node, where the leaf attaches to the stem. The flowers of B. tectorum are arranged on a drooping panicle with about 30 spikelets with awns and five to eight flowers each. Because of rangeland fires and the invasion of B. tectorum, in 2010. the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) extended the protections of the Endangered Species Act to the greater sage-grouse which eats the seeds. It has a fibrous root system with few main roots that do not reach more than a foot into the soil, and has wide-spreading lateral roots that make it efficient at absorbing moisture from light precipitation episodes.