Brachypodium distachyon

By Neil Harris, University of Alberta - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9668336

Scientific name: Brachypoidum distachyon

Common name(s): Purple False Brome

Name as shown in Phylogenes: B. distachyon

Ploidy: Diploid (2x)

Description:

Brachypodium distachyon, also known as Purple False Brome, is an annual grass an a member of the Poaceae family, that includes cereals such as rice and maize, and the biofuel crop switchgrass.

This “cereal grain” species has no direct agricultural value, but it does have a significant experimental utility as it has a  short life cycle and minimal growth requirements. It is valued for comparative genomics, genetic mapping, and understanding the physiology of temperate grasses.

Reference(s): 

1. International Brachypodium Initiative. Genome sequencing and analysis of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon. Nature. 2010 Feb 11;463(7282):763-8. doi: 10.1038/nature08747.

Genome Database(s):