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Association analysis has been proven as a powerful tool for the genetic dissection of complex traits. This study was conducted to identify association of recovery, persistence, and summer dormancy with sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers in 36 smooth bromegrass genotypes under two moisture conditions and find stable associations. In this study, a diverse panel of polycross-derived progenies of smooth bromegrass was phenotyped under normal and water deficit regimes for three consecutive years. Under water deficit, dry matter yield of cut 1 was approximately reduced by 36, 39, and 37% during 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, compared with the normal regime. For dry matter yield of cut 2, these reductions were approximately 38, 60, and 56% in the same three consecutive years relative to normal regime. Moreover, water deficit decreased the RY and PER of the genotypes by 35 and 28%, respectively. Thirty primer combinations were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From these, 541 polymorphic bands were developed and subjected to association analysis using the mixed linear model (MLM). Population structure analysis identified five main subpopulations possessing significant genetic differences. Association analysis identified 69 and 46 marker-trait associations under normal and water deficit regimes, respectively. Some of these markers were associated with more than one trait; which can be attributed to pleiotropic effects or tightly linked genes affecting several traits. In normal and water-deficit regimes, these markers could potentially be incorporated into marker-assisted selection and targeted trait introgression for the improvement of drought tolerance of smooth bromegrass.

Bromus leptoclados Nees — Habit: Herb. Habitat:LMWF, LMDF, BZ, UMF, HZ,AZ; 2 200–4 300 m. Distribution: II. Voucher: Timau Track, Alt. 3 200 m, 15 Aug. 1980, Young 29 (EA). References: Fries & Fries (1927a), Young & Young (1983), Bussmann (1993, 1994), Bussmann & Beck (1995a, 1998), Agnew (2013)., Published as part of Zhou, Ya-Dong, Mwachala, Geoffrey, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2022, Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Mount Kenya, East Africa, pp. 1-108 in Phytotaxa 546 (1) on page 35, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.546.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550464, {"references":["Fries, R. E. & Fries, T. C. E. (1927 a) Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Flora des Kenia, Mt. Aberdare und Mt. Elgon. IX. Notizblatt des Koniglichen Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin 10 (90): 1130 - 1135. https: // doi. org / 10.2307 / 3994575","Young, H. J. & Young, T. P. (1983) Local distribution of C 3 and C 4 grasses on Mount Kenya. Oecologia 58: 373 - 377. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / BF 00385238","Bussmann, R. W. (1993) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): A phytosociological approach with special reference to ecological problems. Ph. D. Thesis, Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, 119 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (1994) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): Vegetation, ecology, destruction and management of a tropical mountain forest ecosystem. Ph. D. dissertation, Universitat Bayreuth Startseite, Bayreuth, 252 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1995 a) The forests of Mt. Kenya (Kenya), a phytosociological synopsis. Phytocoenologia 25 (4): 467 - 560. https: // doi. org / 10.1127 / phyto / 25 / 1995 / 467","Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1998) The plant communities of the forests of Mount Kenya - First phytosociological and ecological data. In: Ojany, F. F. (Ed.) African mountains and highlands - planning for sustainable use of mountain resources. United Nations University, Tokyo, pp. 96 - 107.","Agnew, A. D. Q. (2013) Upland Kenya wild flowers and ferns, 3 rd edn. Nature Kenya Publications, Nairobi, 733 pp."]}

Bromus pectinatus Thunb. — Habit: Herb. Habitat: HZ; 2 100–3 200 m. Distribution: I. Voucher: Chogoria Track, Alt. 3 123 m, 25 Jan. 2015, SAJIT 002850 (HIB). References: Bussmann (1993, 1994), Bussmann & Beck (1995a)., Published as part of Zhou, Ya-Dong, Mwachala, Geoffrey, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2022, Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Mount Kenya, East Africa, pp. 1-108 in Phytotaxa 546 (1) on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.546.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550464, {"references":["Bussmann, R. W. (1993) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): A phytosociological approach with special reference to ecological problems. Ph. D. Thesis, Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, 119 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (1994) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): Vegetation, ecology, destruction and management of a tropical mountain forest ecosystem. Ph. D. dissertation, Universitat Bayreuth Startseite, Bayreuth, 252 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. & Beck, E. (1995 a) The forests of Mt. Kenya (Kenya), a phytosociological synopsis. Phytocoenologia 25 (4): 467 - 560. https: // doi. org / 10.1127 / phyto / 25 / 1995 / 467"]}

Plant communities are predicted to be more resistant to invasion if they are highly productive, harbor species with similar functional traits to invaders, or support species with high competitive potential. However, the strength of competition may decrease with increasing abiotic stress if species more heavily invest in traits that confer stress tolerance over competitive ability, potentially influencing community trait-resistance relationships. Recent research examining how community traits influence invasion resistance has been predominantly focused on single vegetation types, and results between studies are often conflicting. Few studies have evaluated the extent to which abiotic factors and community traits interact to influence invasion along vegetation gradients. Here, we use an in situ seed addition experiment to examine how above- and below-ground plant traits and vegetation type interact to influence community resistance to invasion by a recently introduced annual grass, Ventenata dubia, along a productivity gradient in eastern Oregon, USA. To measure invasion resistance, we evaluated V. dubia biomass in seeded subplots with varying trait compositions across three vegetation types situated along a productivity gradient: scab-flats (sparsely vegetated dwarf-shrublands), low sage-steppe, and ephemeral wet meadows. Trait-resistance relationships were highly context dependent. In wet meadows (the most productive sites), resistance to invasion increased with increasing resident biomass and as community weighted mean trait values for specific leaf area, fine-to-total root volume, and height become more similar to V. dubia's trait values, although these relationships were relatively weak. We did not find evidence that neighboring species influenced invasion resistance in less productive vegetation types, in contrast to our expectations that facilitative interactions may increase with decreasing productivity as posited by the stress-gradient hypothesis. Unlike V. dubia, which heavily invaded all three vegetation types, introduced species with similar trait values, including Bromus tectorum, were not abundant throughout the study area demonstrating V. dubia's unique ability to take advantage of available resources. Our results illustrate how community traits and site productivity interact to influence community resistance to invasion and highlight that communities with lower overall biomass and few functionally similar species to V. dubia may be at the greatest risk for invasion.

Take-all, caused by the fungal pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) is an important root disease of cereals and grasses. An increasing occurrence of very light seeds in some New Zeal...

Pasture degradation is a main problem in semiarid regions. Therefore, rehabilitation of pasture needs sustainable ways such as using soil beneficial microorganisms to ameliorate endemic plant development, especially under drought conditions. This experiment addresses the effect of inoculation arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae) on resistance against water deficit including 40, 60 and 80% of soil humidity based on field capacity with two endemic Bromus species (B. tometolus and B. kopetdaghensis) for two years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with focusing on morphological traits and physiological drought-responsive biomarkers. The results showed that increasing water deficit reduced shoot dry weight, photosynthesis pigment content, and fluorescence significantly, which was correlated with a significant enhancement in proline accumulation and antioxidants enzyme activity. G. intraradices had more positive effects on shoot dry weight than G. mosseae. Both Bromus species under water deficit stress accumulated considerable proline. G. intraradices and G. mosseae resulted in more superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in both species; however, G. intraradices showed more proline content and enzyme activity than G. mosseae. The compensatory effect of AMF in alleviating the negative effect of reduced soil humidity was due to an increase in proline accumulation and activation of some antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers which improved water deficit tolerance of Bromus.

Background Intensive application of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides has resulted in herbicide-resistance in many weeds, including Bromus sterilis. The present study was conducted to identify the mechanisms conferring resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in a Bromus sterilis biotype. Results Dose-response studies revealed the resistant biotype to be 288 times less sensitive to pyroxsulam than the susceptible biotype. Furthermore, experiment with a single-dose, proved this biotype was also cross-resistant to propoxycarbazone, iodosulfuron plus mesosulfuron and sulfosulfuron. Prior treatment with malathion, a known inhibitor of cytochrome P450s, reduced the level of resistance to pyroxsulam. No mutations were detected from the partial ALS gene sequencing. Flow cytometry and chromosome counting rejected ploidy level variation between the susceptible and resistant biotypes. Relative copy number variation ruled out gene amplification. Quantitative real-time PCR detected a significant difference in ALS gene expression between the susceptible and resistant biotypes. Conclusions Target gene overexpression and enhanced metabolism by cytochrome P450s are likely mechanisms of resistance to pyroxsulam in Bromus sterilis. The current findings highlight the need to monitor additional brome populations for herbicide resistance in Europe and endorse the need for alternate herbicides in integrated weed management to delay the possible evolution of herbicide resistance in these species. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Physiological integration of connected plants of the same clone, or ramets, often increases clonal fitness when ramets differ in resource supply. However, review of the literature found that no study has directly tested the hypothesis that integration can increase the ability of clones to compete against other species. To test this, we grew two-ramet clonal fragments of the stoloniferous, perennial herb Fragaria chiloensis in which none, one, or both of the ramets had neighbors of a naturally co-occurring, dominant grass, Bromus carinatus, and connections between ramets were either severed to prevent integration or left intact. We also grew four-ramet fragments in which all ramets had neighbors and connections were severed or intact. Severance decreased the final leaf mass and area of two-ramet fragments by 25% and their final total mass by 15% when just one ramet was grown with B. carinatus. Severance had no significant effect on the total mass of fragments when none or all of the ramets were grown with the grass. This provides the first direct evidence that physiological integration can increase the competitive ability of clonal plant species, though only when competition is spatially heterogeneous. Integration may thus enable plant clones to grow into plant communities and to compete within communities with fine-scale disturbance. However, integration may not increase the competitive ability of clonal plants within uniformly dense communities of taller species.

Aims: To complete the syntaxonomic scheme for tall-forb vegetation of the montane and alpine belts in the Pamir-Alai and western Tian Shan Mountains in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with some remarks on its environmental predictors. Study area: Middle Asia: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Methods: A total of 244 relevés were sampled in 2013–2019 using the seven-degree cover-abundance scale of the Braun-Blanquet approach. These were classified with a modified TWINSPAN algorithm with pseudospecies cut-levels 0%, 5% and 25%, and total inertia as a measure of cluster heterogeneity. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a fidelity measure. NMDS was used to explore the relationships between the distinguished groups. Results: Our classification revealed 19 clusters of tall-forb vegetation in Middle Asia. Among others we found forb communities typical for Tian Shan, western Pamir-Alai, forb-scree vegetation of Pamir-Alai, dry tall-forbs and typical forbs of the alpine belt. A total of eight new tall-forb associations and five communities were distinguished. The forb vegetation of Middle Asia has been assigned to the class Prangetea ulopterae Klein. The main factors differentiating the species composition of the researched vegetation are elevation, mean annual temperature, sum of annual precipitation and inclination of the slope. Conclusions: The paper presents the first insight into the comprehensive classification of the alpine forb vegetation in Middle Asia and fosters progress in explaining the relationship of boreo-temperate and Mediterranean-like (Irano-Turanian) vegetation in western Asian and central Asian subregions of the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. Taxonomic references: The nomenclature of the vascular plants follows generally Cherepanov (1995) and for Bromus spp. The Plant List (2020) Version 1.1. http://www.theplantlist.org/. Syntaxonomic references: The names of syntaxa are used in accordance with Ermakov (2012), Gadghiev et al. (2002) and Nowak et al. (2018). Abbreviation: NMDS = Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling.

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts), comprised of mosses, lichens, and cyanobacteria, are key components to many dryland communities. Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are thought to cause a decline in mosses and lichens, yet few long-term studies exist to track potential shifts in these sensitive soil-surface communities. Using a unique long-term observational dataset from a temperate dryland with initial observations dating back to 1967, we examine the effects of 53 y of observed environmental variation and Bromus tectorum invasion on biocrust communities in a grassland never grazed by domestic livestock. Annual observations show a steep decline in N-fixing lichen cover (dominated by Collema species) from 1996 to 2002, coinciding with a period of extended drought, with Collema communities never able to recover. Declines in other lichen species were also observed, both in number of species present and by total cover, which were attributed to increasing summertime temperatures. Conversely, moss species gradually gained in cover over the survey years, especially following a large Bromus tectorum invasion at the study onset (ca. 1996 to 2001). These results support a growing body of studies that suggests climate change is a key driver in changes to certain components of late-successional biocrust communities. Results here suggest that warming may partially negate decades of protection from disturbance, with biocrust communities reaching a vital tipping point. The accelerated rate of ongoing warming observed in this study may have resulted in the loss of lichen cover and diversity, which could have long-term implications for global temperate dryland ecosystems.

El sobrepastoreo de los campos naturales ha determinado la disminución de especies nativas de alto valor forrajero, como es el caso de Bromus auleticus Trin. ex Nees en el bioma Campos. La reintroducción de especies nativas de alto valor forrajero sembradas sobre el campo natural aparece como una tecnología promisoria para la recuperación de dichos ambientes. No obstante, no ha sido suficientemente desarrollada principalmente por la falta de semilla comercial de la especie y por falta de información que oriente el manejo de la implantación. En ese sentido, se hace necesario conocer cuál es la densidad de siembra de Bromus auleticus más adecuada para lograr la reintroducción de la especie. Se instalan dos experimentos de campo para evaluar el efecto de la densidad de siembra de Bromus auleticus sembrado al voleo sobre campo natural en el año 2013 y en el año 2014, en la región de Basalto de Uruguay. Los tratamientos consistieron en diferentes densidades de siembra: 20, 40, 60 y 80 kg ha-1. Con densidades de siembra de hasta 40 kg ha-1 se alcanzaron coeficientes de logro de 17 y 26% a los 120 días postsiembra y niveles de sobrevivencia estival de 60 y 33% en los experimentos 2013 y 2014, respectivamente, obteniéndose al año de siembra 107 y 56 plantas por m-2 de Bromus auleticus, para las siembras 2013 y 2014, respectivamente. Densidades de siembra superiores a 40 kg ha-1 permitieron lograr una mayor cantidad de plantas de Bromus auleticus en el período de establecimiento de la pastura, compensando con menores porcentajes de sobrevivencia en el verano. The overgrazing of natural grasslands has determined the decrease of native species of high forage value, as is the case of Bromus auleticus Trin. ex Nees in the Campos biome. The reintroduction of native species of high forage value overseeded into natural grasslands appears as a promising technology for the recovery of these environments. However, has not been sufficiently developed due to the consequence of the absence of commercial seed of the species and the lack of information to guide the establishment management. In this sense, it is necessary to know the sowing rate (kg ha-1) of Bromus auleticus necessary to achieve the reintroduction of the species. Two field experiments are installed to assess the effect of the sowing density of Bromus auleticus sown into the natural grasslands in 2013 and in 2014, in the Basaltic region of Uruguay. The treatments consisted of different sowing rates: 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg ha-1. With sowing rates up to 40 kg ha-1, achievement coefficients of 17 and 26% were reached at 120 days post-sowing and summer survival percentages of 60 and 33% in the 2013 and 2014 experiments, respectively, obtaining the year of sown 107 and 56 plants per m-2 of Bromus auleticus, for 2013 and 2014 experiments, respectively. Seeding densities greater than 40 kg ha-1 allowed to achieve a greater amount of Bromus auleticus plants achieved in the establishment period, compensating with lower percentages of survive during the summer. DNA Comunicación Institucional Fil: Franco Aquino, Rodolfo. Universidad de la República. Sede Tacuarembó; Uruguay Fil: Jaurena, Martin. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA). Programa Pasturas y Forrajes; Uruguay Fil: Reyno Podestá, Rafael. Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA). Programa Pasturas y Forrajes; Uruguay

Ventenata [Ventenata dubia (Leers) Coss.], an invasive winter annual grass, negatively impacts grassland community composition and function in the Pacific Northwest. Ventenata dubia established in Palouse prairie (PP) and canyon grasslands (CG) of northern Idaho/eastern Washington in the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Understanding and comparing patterns of invasion can elucidate future trends as its range expands. We performed surveys in PP (2012 and 2013) and CG (2018) to assess V. dubia abundance. Specifically, we correlated species richness, Shannon diversity, rank abundance, and indicator species with no, low (12.5%) V. dubia cover. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) to visualize species similarities and associations with abiotic variables. In both ecoregions, V. dubia was very common, appearing in nearly 60% of 450 plots. When present, V. dubia cover averaged 26% (±2.3 SE) in PP and 19% (±1.8 SE) in CG. Indigenous plant species richness and diversity were lowest in plots with high V. dubia cover. In CG, this relationship held for nonindigenous species; in PP, nonindigenous plant richness and diversity were higher with high V. dubia cover. Ventenata dubia and other winter annual grasses (Bromus spp., medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski]) were moderately associated according to the NMDS analysis. Indicator species analysis showed V. dubia was positively associated with nonindigenous winter annual grasses and negatively associated with indigenous low shrub species. Abiotic factors that explained V. dubia abundance included shallow soils and a south to west aspect. Overall, these findings indicate V. dubia can successfully invade both dry and relatively wet plant communities and is more abundant than other invasive annual grasses. We suggest these findings foreshadow what will happen in sagebrush steppe and Great Plains grasslands, regions where V. dubia recently became established.

W pracy zaprezentowano wyniki oceny plonowania oraz badań laboratoryjnych parametrów związanych z produkcją biogazu dwóch gatunków z rodzaju stokłosa (bezostna oraz obiedkowata) w porównaniu do tetraploidalnej odmiany życicy trwałej. Kiszonki przygotowano z całych roślin w fazie kłoszenia, w warunkach laboratoryjnych w rękawach foliowych. Biogazodochodowość oznaczano metodą eudiometryczną wg akredytowanej procedury badawczej implementowanej normy DIN 38 414-S8:1985. Wraz z analizą wyników przedstawiono możliwość wykorzystania badanych kiszonek jako alternatywnych substratów dla biogazowni rolniczych.

Exotic winter annual grasses (Bromus spp.) are a problem in North American rangelands. Defoliation, litter, and mosses are thought to regulate invasive annual Bromus species. We conducted a field experiment that tested effects of mechanical mowing and fungicide applications on Bromus arvensis, other and total graminoids, forbs, litter, and moss. Treatments caused litter biomass and moss cover to vary, which enabled testing whether litter and mosses explain variation in B. arvensis biomass. Two yr after cessation of experimental treatments, mowing treatments caused persistent reductions in B. arvensis, total graminoid, and litter biomasses but had no effect on other graminoid and forb biomasses. We detected a positive relationship between litter and B. arvensis. Fungicide applications increased moss cover and other and total graminoid biomasses, thereby suggesting mosses and several graminoids were released from the suppressive effects of biota (e.g., lichen, pathogenic fungi) susceptible to the fungicide. We found no relationship, however, between moss cover and B. arvensis. In temperate and semiarid ecosystems, mowing during flowering and before seed drop coupled with removal of clippings is likely to help control invasive bromes and fungicide additions may increase grass production.

River regulation has altered the seasonal timing of flows in many rivers worldwide, impacting the survival and growth of riparian plants. In south-eastern Australia, demand for irrigation water in summer often results in high river flows during a season that would naturally experience low flows. Although unseasonal high summer flows are thought to significantly impact waterways, their effects on vegetation are poorly quantified. We investigated the responses of five grass species commonly occurring in riparian zones to different durations of submergence in summer. We experimentally tested the response of three exotic and two native grasses to four submergence treatments (4 weeks, 8 weeks, 2-week pulses and no submergence), and two levels of shading (no shading and 80% light reduction), over 8 weeks in summer and early autumn. All submergence treatments, including the 2-week pulse, resulted in the death of all plants of three species (Bromus catharticus, Dactylis glomerata and Rytidosperma caespitosum). Lolium perenne exhibited moderate survival rates in the shorter-duration unshaded submergence treatments, while Poa labillardierei largely survived all treatments. Similar responses across species were observed for plant height and biomass, although height generally increased while biomass growth was reduced by shading. These results show that even 2-week periods of summer submergence can reduce growth and cause the death of some riparian grasses. Although some species may survive longer submergence durations, impacts on other aspects of fitness, and ongoing effects of repeated unseasonal submergence, remain uncertain. Our study highlights that the impacts of unseasonal flows require further investigation and careful management.

Bromus auleticus is a cool season perennial C3 grass, recognised as a forage plant genetic resource and used for native grasslands restoration. It is native to the campos biome, found in southern Brazil, Uruguay and central Argentina. Its forage yield is comparable with tall fescue. Seed dormancy is a problem to evaluate germination and for commercialisation of this species. Using four recently harvested seed lots of three different genotypes, we tested six different treatments to release dormancy: a control (mean germination 52%); 0.05 and 0.1% gibberellic acid; KNO3; pre-chilling + KNO3; and pre-chilling (mean germination across seed lots and treatments, 87%). Pre-chilling + KNO3 and pre-chilling were the best treatments to break dormancy, with mean germination times (MGT) reduced to half (8.7 and 9.3 days-1) that of the untreated control (19.2 days-1). The treatment with KNO3 alone did not yield uniform results across seed lots; when combined with pre-chilling, final germination did not increase but showed more consistent results. The use of 0.05% gibberellic acid was less efficient than pre-chilling to reduce the MGT of 17.2 days-1, but it could be considered as an alternative treatment for seed lots in which the germination results are needed fast and has the additional advantages of avoiding exposing seeds to cold stress. Furthermore, if seeds are contaminated with fungi, it reduces growth time and contamination effects.

Hordeum spp. (barley grass) and Bromus spp. (brome grass) are annual weed species that achieve long‐distance seed dispersal via attachment to sheep, but also lead to sheep carcass damage due to the penetration of seeds into animal tissues. Range expansion of invasive weed populations predicted as a consequence of climate change may be associated with an increase in seed contamination incidence globally. An examination of Australian abattoir data (2006–2012), along with recent weed distribution patterns, indicates carcass contamination was associated with rainfall and abundance of key annual grass weeds, primarily Bromus spp. and Hordeum spp., although other factors may play a contributing role. Significant differences in seed contamination in slaughtered sheep were noted between states and regions, with widespread contamination occurring throughout all agro‐ecological zones. Abattoir, sheep age and sex significantly influenced incidence, with contamination highest in adult males. Incidence increased with mean monthly rainfall, but declined with mean elevation, and significant interactions were noted between mean monthly temperature and state, and between mean elevation and year. Results show the need for vigilant recording of seed injuries in sheep to enhance weed surveillance efforts and effective integrated weed management of contributing annual grass weeds.

At Point Reyes National Seashore in California, Fusarium circinatum, the causal agent of pitch canker in pines, was isolated from Pinus muricata, the California native grass, Bromus carinatus, and the introduced grass, Holcus lanatus. All grass plants from which F. circinatum was isolated were symptomless. Pathogenicity of grass isolates was confirmed by inoculation of P. radiata trees, which developed symptoms similar to trees inoculated with a pine isolate of F. circinatum. Isolates from grasses were somatically compatible with isolates recovered from symptomatic pines. B. carinatus grown in a growth chamber was inoculated with a green fluorescent protein-expressing strain of F. circinatum. Segments of inoculated leaves were incubated in moist chambers; after 1 to 2 days, sporulating hyphae were observed growing from leaf tissue. Spores of F. circinatum removed from B. carinatus leaves were confirmed to be fluorescent when illuminated with ultraviolet light. These results raise the possibility that B. carinatus cryptically infected by F. circinatum may be a source of propagules capable of infecting pines.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the salinity tolerance in prairie grass populations at the seedling stage quantifying the variability and the influence of physiological traits related to it. Salinity tolerance, in Bromus catharticus Vahl (prairie grass) populations collected in different environments of the Pampean Phytogeography region (Argentine) was evaluated at the seedling stage, using controlled condition of temperature and light. It was adopted a completely randomized design using 3 plots with three plants each one per population and two levels of treatment: 0 mM and 100 mM NaCl. Morphological, biomass and membrane stability root and shoot traits were studied. A factorial ANOVA with interaction was estimated. Then one way ANOVA for all seedling traits in both treatments allowed estimating variance components, coefficient of genotypic determination (CGD) and variation index (VI). Comparisons between populations were made using Tukey test (at 5% of probability). Phenotypic correlations among traits were calculated and then a path coefficient analysis separated direct and indirect effects at 100 and 0 mM NaCl. No significant interactions “Population × Treatment” were found for any character. The saline stress caused a pairing in the population means for the most traits. Coefficients of variation were mainly higher when the seedlings grew without stress (0 mM) because it allowed a greater potential genotypic expression. The absence of significant interactions denotes a good homeostatic capacity of the prairie grass facing that abiotic stress. Leaf length, shoot length and root dry matter were the variables with the largest direct and indirect effects. Our results showed an increase for them at salt and demonstrated intraspecific variation, possibly in relation with the origin sites. Plants under stress showed a marked resilience, in order to quickly restore the same biomass allocation patterns that occur in non-stress environment.

Invasive annual grasses alter fire regime in steppe ecosystems, and subsequent trends toward larger, more frequent wildfires impacts iconic biodiversity. A common solution is to disrupt novel fuel beds comprising continuous swaths of invasive annual grasses with greenstrips-linear, human-maintained stands of less-flammable vegetation. But selecting effective native species is challenged by the fact that identifying the optimal combination of plant traits that interrupt wildfire spread is logistically difficult. We employed fire behavior simulation modeling to determine plant traits with high potential to slow fire spread in annual Bromus-dominated fuelbeds. We found species with low leaf:stem (fine:coarse) ratios and high live:dead fuel ratios to be most effective. Our approach helps isolate fuelbed characteristics that slow fire spread, providing a geographically-agnostic framework to scale plant traits to greenstrip effectiveness. This framework helps managers assess potential native species for greenstrips without needing logistically-difficult experimental assessments to determine how a species might affect fire behavior.

Prairie grass (Bromus catharticus Vahl) is an important grass species that could be used in the production systems of certified seed and high-quality forage for grazing ruminants. In the present research, a sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) marker was employed to detect the genetic variability and structure of 80 prairie grass accessions from all over the world. Altogether, 460 reliable bands were amplified from 47 SRAP primer pairs with 345 (75%) polymorphic bands. The average values of discrimination power (DP) and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 0.753 and 0.317, respectively. Both the UPGMA clustering and PCoA analyses grouped the 80 accessions into five clusters, whereas the STRUCTURE analysis showed that 80 prairie grass accessions possessed three genetic memberships (K = 3). The results of the Mantel test showed that the distance matrix has a moderately positive correlation between the morphological and molecular data sets (r = 0.524). A poor genetic differentiation (Fst = 0.045) was discovered among the six geo-groups of accessions. Besides, the highest intragroup genetic diversity was found in the North America group (He = 0.335). This study provides a genetic structure and diversity case for prairie grass, and supplies new clues for the study and utilization of prairie grass.

The increase in drought events due to climate change have enhanced the relevance of species with greater tolerance or avoidance traits to water restriction periods, such as Bromus valdivianus Phil. (B. valdivianus). In southern Chile, B. valdivianus and Lolium perenne L. (L. perenne) coexist, however, the pasture defoliation criterion is based on the physiological growth and development of L. perenne. It is hypothesised that B. valdivianus needs a lower defoliation frequency than L. perenne to enhance its regrowth and energy reserves. Defoliation frequencies tested were based on B. valdivianus leaf stage 2 (LS-2), leaf stage 3 (LS-3), leaf stage 4 (LS-4) and leaf stage 5 (LS-5). The leaf stage development of Lolium perenne was monitored and contrasted with that of B. valdivianus. The study was conducted in a glasshouse and used a randomised complete block design. For Bromus valdivianus, the lamina length, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, tiller number per plant, leaf area, leaf weights, root growth rate, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) and starch were evaluated. Bromus valdivianus maintained six live leaves with three leaves growing simultaneously. When an individual tiller started developing its seventh leaf, senescence began for the second leaf (the first relevant leaf for photosynthesis). Plant herbage mass, the root growth rate and tiller growth were maximised at LS-4 onwards. The highest leaf elongation rate, evaluated through the slope of the lamina elongation curve of a fully expanded leaf, was verified at LS-4. The water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) increased at LS-5, however, no statistical differences were found in LS-4. The LS-3 and LS-2 treatments showed a detrimental effect on WSCs and regrowth. The leaf photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance diminished while the leaf age increased. In conclusion, B. valdivianus is a ‘six-leaf’ species with leaf senescence beginning at LS-4.25. Defoliation at LS-4 and LS-5 was optimum for plant regrowth, maximising the aboveground plant parameters and total WSC accumulation. The LS-4 for B. valdivianus was equivalent to LS-3.5 for L. perenne. No differences related to tiller population in B. valdivianus were found in the different defoliation frequencies.

Climate change and disturbance can alter invasion success of clonal plants by differentially affecting the clonal traits influencing their establishment as young plants. Clonal traits related to the vegetative reproduction of native Pascopyrum smithii and non-native Bromus inermis grass seedlings were evaluated under altered precipitation frequencies and a single grazing event. Pascopyrum smithii maintained similar vegetative reproduction under three simulated precipitation frequencies whereas B. inermis vegetative reproduction declined as precipitation became more intermittent. Vegetative reproduction of the non-native B. inermis was greater than the native P. smithii under all simulated precipitation frequencies except the most intermittent scenario. A single grazing event did not affect either species’ response to intra-annual precipitation variability but did slightly reduce their clonal growth and increase their bud dormancy. In young plants, clonal traits of the invasive grass favored its superior expansion and population growth compared to the native grass except under the most severe climate change scenario. Grassland restoration using native P. smithii seeds would be successful in most years due to its resilient clonal growth in a changing climate. Clonal infrastructure development in young plants is critical to clonal plant establishment and persistence in a changing climate and under disturbed conditions.

Displacement of diverse native plant communities by low-diversity invasive communities is a global problem. In the western United States, the displacement of sagebrush-dominated communities by cheatgrass has increased since the 1920s. Restoration outcomes are poor, potentially due to soil alteration by cheatgrass. We explored the poorly understood role of plant-soil feedbacks in the dominance of cheatgrass in a greenhouse study where uninvaded sagebrush soils were conditioned with either cheatgrass, a native bunchgrass or sagebrush. Sagebrush seedlings were grown in the soils that remained following the removal of conditioning plants. We expected cheatgrass to strongly suppress sagebrush due to a change in belowground microbial communities, conspecifics to have neutral effects and the native bunchgrass to have intermediate effects as it coevolved with sagebrush but belongs to a different functional group. We assessed the effects of conditioning on sagebrush growth, tissue nutrients, and carbon allocation. We also characterized the abundance, diversity and community composition of root microbial associates. Cheatgrass strongly suppressed sagebrush growth at high and low conditioning densities, the native bunchgrass showed suppression at high conditioning densities only and conspecific effects were neutral. Tissue nutrients, amount of root colonization by soil fungi or root microbial community composition were not associated with these plant-soil feedbacks. Although we did not identify the precise mechanism, our results provide key evidence that rapid soil alteration by cheatgrass results in negative plant-soil feedbacks on sagebrush growth. These feedbacks likely contribute to cheatgrass dominance and the poor success of sagebrush restoration.

The present research study investigates the phytochemical and pharmacological importance of Bromus pectinatus. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of this plant was carried out to use standard method for the presence of various bioactive constituents. Results showed the ethanolic extract contain natural product such as steroids, alkaloids, tannins, coumarin, saponins, flavonoids and phenols. These compounds play a key role to reducing various disease and microbial inhibition. The ethanolic extract also showed the antimicrobial and antifugal activity against different pathogenic bacterial strains e.g Escherichia coli, Micrococus leutus, Protus vulgarus, and Kelebsela pneumona and three fungal strains Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavous, Aspergillus niger. The antioxidant assay was performed as % inhibition of DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) free radicals. The plant extract has more antioxidant activity as compared to ascorbic acid. The maximum concentration (800µg/ml) is the most effective of all. The plant extract showed the high cytotoxicity activity against Brine shrimp. Moreover, the plant extract exhibited allelopathic effect on different growth parameters of wheat plant mostly at higher concentration. These results indicate that the BPEE have a potential broad-spectrum antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant and phytotoxic activity due to the presence of bioactive compounds.

Bromus valdivianus Phil. (Bv) is a water stress-tolerant species, but its competitiveness in a diverse pasture may depend on defoliation management and soil moisture levels. This glasshouse study examined the effect of three defoliation frequencies, based on accumulated growing degree days (AGDD) (250, 500, and 1000 AGDD), and two soil water levels (80–85% of field capacity (FC) and 20–25% FC) on Bv growth as monoculture and as a mixture with Lolium perenne L. (Lp). The treatments were applied in a completely randomised block design with four blocks. The above-ground biomass of Bv was lower in the mixture than in the monoculture (p ≤ 0.001). The Bv plants in the mixture defoliated more infrequently (1000 AGDD) showed an increase in root biomass under 20–25% FC compared to 80–85% FC, with no differences measured between soil water levels in the monoculture. Total root length was highest in the mixture with the combination of infrequent defoliation and 20–25% FC. Conversely, frequent defoliation treatments resulted in reduced water-soluble carbohydrate reserves in the tiller bases of plants (p ≤ 0.001), as they allocated assimilates mainly to foliage growth. These results provide evidence that B. valdivianus can increase its competitiveness relative to Lp through the enhancement of the root growth and the energy reserve in the tiller base under drought conditions and infrequent defoliation in a mixture.

Bromus (Poaceae) includes more than 160 species of mesophytic and xerophytic grasses from temperate regions of the world, of which 39 occur in Iran. The genus is considered taxonomically problematic due to the occurrence of hybridization, variation in ploidy levels, and phenotypic plasticity. Moreover, morphological similarities make species delimitation difficult. It resulted in different taxonomic classifications proposed along the time. Thus, in order to contribute to a better understanding of the species of Bromus, 21 species from six different sections of Bromus occurring in Iran were evaluated micromorphologically. The abaxial surface of the lemma and palea of the lowermost florets were examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Twenty-three quantitative and qualitative characters were analysed using PAST software. Lemma characters such as shape of silica cells, cork cells, crown cells, outline of long cell wall, and long cell length, and palea characters such as shape of cork cells, silica cells, and outline of long cell wall were informative among species studied. In UPGMA clustering most species were aggregated according to the previously delimited sections demonstrating the taxonomic value of micromorphological features in the species studied. Two sections Bromus and Genea showed a close relationship whereas two sections Ceratochloa and Pnigma were placed in one cluster close to the cluster including section Boissiera. The only exception was B. japonicus which was resolved within cluster of sect. Genea, not in cluster of sect. Bromus.

Bromus leptoclados Nees, Fl. Afr. Austral. Ill.: 453 (1841). Distribution: Cameroon to Eritrea and S. Africa, SW. Arabian Pen. Specimens: MOSHI Kilimanjaro Timbers, Grimshaw, J.M. 94514 (K); Kilimanjaro Timbers, Grimshaw, J.M. 94616 (K); Lemosho Glades, Peterson, P. 24328 (BC, K, US); Lemosho Glades, Peterson, P. 24344 (BC, K, US); Lemosho Glades, Peterson, P. 24328 (K); Marangu, Hedberg, O. 1377 (K); Marangu, Volkens, G. 701 (K); Maua route, Hemp, A. 2153 (NHT, UBT); s. loc., Bjornstad, A. AB330 (NH); s. loc., Schlieben, H.J. 4919 (K); Shira Plateau, Bigger, M. 2316 (K); Top rain gauge, Grimshaw, J.M. 94658 (K)., Published as part of Prunera-Olivé, Joan, Vorontsova, Maria S., Williams, Emma V., Mollel, Neduvoto P. & Hemp, Andreas, 2021, Checklist of Kilimanjaro grasses shows that both plot and herbarium methods are necessary to record diversity, pp. 201-244 in Phytotaxa 501 (2) on page 217, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.501.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5424816

Bromus diandrus Roth, Bot. Abh. Beobacht.: 44 (1787). Distribution: Medit. and Iran and Arabian Pen. Specimens: MOSHI Horombo Hut (= Peters Hut), Morton, J.K. s.n. (WAG)., Published as part of Prunera-Olivé, Joan, Vorontsova, Maria S., Williams, Emma V., Mollel, Neduvoto P. & Hemp, Andreas, 2021, Checklist of Kilimanjaro grasses shows that both plot and herbarium methods are necessary to record diversity, pp. 201-244 in Phytotaxa 501 (2) on page 217, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.501.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5424816

Bromus catharticus Vahl, Symb. Bot. 2: 22 (1791). Distribution: Venezuela to S. South America Specimens: MOSHI Londorossi Gate, Grimshaw, J.M. 93758 (K); Mandara Hut (=Bismark Hut), Grimshaw, J.M. 93809 (K); Maua Seminary, Hemp, A. 2280 (NHT, UBT)., Published as part of Prunera-Olivé, Joan, Vorontsova, Maria S., Williams, Emma V., Mollel, Neduvoto P. & Hemp, Andreas, 2021, Checklist of Kilimanjaro grasses shows that both plot and herbarium methods are necessary to record diversity, pp. 201-244 in Phytotaxa 501 (2) on page 217, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.501.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5424816

Many botanic gardens keep ex situ collections of rare species to prevent their extinction and to enable their reintroduction into the wild. A potential problem with ex situ collections is that relaxed selection, genetic drift, novel selection and inbreeding may cause rapid loss of adaptation to natural conditions and therefore may hamper success of reintroductions. Here, we investigated whether cultivation in ex situ collections of three threatened species—Trifolium spadiceum, Sisymbrium austriacum and Bromus grossus—influenced trait differentiation. Using plant material from the original source populations and from the ex situ collections, we compared germination characteristics, growth and phenology under different environmental treatments. Trifolium spadiceum showed reduced seed dormancy in the ex situ collection compared to the wild population, whereas germination temperature requirements changed for S. austriacum. Trifolium spadiceum also showed reduced seed viability in the ex situ collection compared to the wild population. All species showed differences in plant growth between the plants from nature and from the botanic garden. Additionally, B. grossus showed advanced flowering time in plants from the botanic garden. These differences may reflect reduced performance or changes in life-history strategies. We conclude that all three species have rapidly differentiated between wild and ex situ origins and that effects of relaxed selection, genetic drift, inbreeding depression and adaptation to cultivation conditions in the botanic garden may have played a role in population differentiation, which may be unfavourable for reintroduction into nature. To explore this further we suggest broader studies across more species, populations and gardens, involving common garden, reciprocal transplant and molecular studies.

The genus of Bromus is one of the most important collection of rangeland plants, which are distributed in a wide range of natural areas of Iran. Interspecific relationships were evaluated in 90 accessions of 18 Bromus species based on 15 ISSR and 15 SCoT primers. SCoT markers separated the accessions better than ISSR marker. In addition, there was a high interspecific diversity between surveying germplasm. The sections of Bromus genus completely separated based on DNA molecular markers. SCoT markers could separate the accessions in each species. The primers of SC5 and SC35 from SCoT marker and UBC861, UBC857 and UBC844 primers from ISSR marker were identified as the best primers in revealing of genetic diversity between accessions. The sections of Ceratochloa, Genea, Pnigma and Bromus were monophyletic and were placed in one cluster. The section Bromus had a direct relationship with section Genea. In other words, section Ceratochloa has a direct relationship with Pnigma. B. tectorum and B. sericeus. B. sterilis had the most distance with other species in section Genea. B. squarrosus and B. japonicus had the most similarity and B. briziformis with B. danthoniae and B. scoparius with B. rechingeri had a moderate relationship in section Bromus. B. tomentosus and B. persicus had the highest similarity and B. riparius with B. biebersteinii and B. tomentellus with B. inermis had a moderate similarity in section Pnigma.

Effects of Co on fiber digestibility in horses are largely unknown. Our objective was to evaluate effects of Co chloride on in vitro gas production, VFA production, and dry matter (DM) disappearance (IVDMD) using cecal fluid from 4 cannulated Quarter Horses. Five grams DM of alfalfa or smooth bromegrass hay were provided as substrate with Co added at 0.0, 0.5, 5.0, 25.0, or 50.0 mg/kg substrate DM. Ten milliliters cecal fluid and 140 mL McDougall's buffer were incubated in duplicate, and pH, VFA concentrations, and IVDMD were measured after 48 hours. Gas production, used as an indicator of fermentative activity, was recorded every 15 minutes. Terminal pH was not affected by Co or forage type (P.19). There was greater IVDMD in cultures containing alfalfa (29.2%) compared with smooth bromegrass hay (19.4%; P.01). There was a forage × Co interaction (P.05) in which gas production was greater in cultures containing alfalfa, and 5 mg Co/kg substrate DM led to greater gas production than 50 mg Co/kg substrate DM in cultures containing brome (P.05). Gas production was affected by forage, Co, and time (P.01). Production of individual and total VFA, as well as acetate:propionate (A:P) ratio were increased in cultures containing alfalfa (P.05); however, there were no effects of Co on VFA concentrations (P.05). While gas production was influenced by Co in cultures containing brome, no effects of Co were observed for pH, VFA, or IVDMD.