Which statement correctly identifies winter annual grasses?

• A. They are always perennials
• B. They include downy brome, cheat, and jointed goatgrass
• C. They are never present in Kansas
• D. They are all broadleaf

Answer: (B)

Winter annual grasses are grasses that germinate in fall, grow through winter, and set seed in spring, then die in the heat of summer. They are grasses, not broadleaf plants, and they are not necessarily perennials. A classic group of examples includes downy brome (often called cheatgrass) and jointed goatgrass, which are well-known winter annual weeds. Kansas can have these grasses, so saying they are never present there isn’t accurate. The other choices misclassify these plants: they are not always perennials, they are present in Kansas, and they are grasses, not broadleaf.