273 Bromus secalinus L.

The origin of this widespread species is uncertain but may possibly be located to E. C. Europe. It was spread as a weed in prehistoric times westwards and northwards in Europe, where up to bis century it was common in the fields, but nowadays it has become less frequent. It has been introduced into S. Africa, Japan, N. America and New Zealand. It has now an incompletely circumpolar distribution (Hultén, Circumpol. I, p. 218 and map 208).