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 five centimeters in length.

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 is one of the grass species known to pet owners as "foxtails", a backyard hazard for outdoor cats and dogs.

Moreover, sharp awns of ripe seeds can penetrate sheep's skin into the flesh causing pain and lowering carcass value.

If ingested, the strong awns can cause injury to sheep's mouth and even intestine,[2] hence the name "rip gut".

[2] Bromus hordeaceus, known as soft brome, is similar in early growth stages with smaller leaf blades.