Abstract: Brachypodium distachyon, a monocot grass plant and widely distributed in temperate areas, has been regarded as an new potential model plant species and studied extensively in recent years because of its smaller genome, less chromosomes, shorter plant height, rapid life cycle, higher seed yield, undemanding growth requirements, and different ploidies similar to Triticum including diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid. But, related research on this plant in domestic is just in initial stage. Cytogenetics, molecular genetics, genomics, mapping, tissue culture, and transformation of Brachypodium distachyon were reviewed in this paper, and its further investigation and application were briefly prospected at the same time in order to promote its study on the characteristics as model plant and benefit the structural and functional genomics research of some Pooideae species such as wheat and barley.

Key words: Brachypodium distachyon, Model plant, Genomics, Molecular markers, Tissue culture, Transformation