Grasses-Arable-Crib-25.09.20.Pdf

ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Identifing features

Stigma Awn / bristle

Florets Anther Lemma

Palea

Ovary

Glumes

Leaf blade Stem

Ligule Leaf blade

Auricle Sheath

Sheath

Awn / bristle

Lemma Auricles are at the base of the Auricles leaf blade and top of the sheath and may be a continuation of the Awns / bristles can both be ligule in some species on the lemma and/or glume

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Lesser quaking-grass Black-grass Species Briza minor Alopecurus myosuroides

Status Nationally Scarce

Distribution Mostly restricted to Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly Widespread, common and troublesome weed of and the Hampshire Basin, with isolated sites in cereal crops Surrey and Kent Lifecycle Annual Annual

Size Up to 50 cm Up to 70 cm

Growth habit Erect Loosely tufted

Ligule Pointed, 3-6 mm long Blunt, 2-5 mm long

Leaves 3-7 mm wide, hairless and blue-green in colour 2-8 mm wide, rough, hairless, upper sheaths somewhat inflated Flowers/ Much branched inflorescence, similar to that Very narrow, 2-12 cm long, each spikelet inflorescence of the more common quaking-grass but the 4.5-7 mm, with an awn that projects 4-8 mm spikelets are smaller around 2.5-5 mm and more than 20 per panicle. The inflorescence spikelet may not open fully Glume

Lemma

Flowering June-September May-August period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Darnel Perennial rye-grass Species Lolium temulentum Lolium perenne

Status Extinct in the Wild / Critically Endangered

Distribution Now extinct in Britain except as a casual. Formerly Widespread throughout British Isles and sown as scattered throughout the country, especially in part of agricultural grass leys the south. Still found in the Irish Aran Islands. Reintroduced to several sites Lifecycle Annual Perennial

Size Up to 75 cm Up to 90 cm

Growth habit Erect Loosely tufted with multiple stems

Ligule Blunt, 2 mm long. A pair of membranous auricles Up to 2 mm long with auricles clasp the stem Leaves 40 cm in length, green and hairless 2-6 mm wide, folded when young, bright glossy green beneath, with prominent midrib, base of sheaths red Flowers/ Stalkless and borne alternately in a stiff spike Inflorescence consists of a spike up to 30 cm. The inflorescence up to 30 cm long. The individual spikelets are spikelets are stalkless and 7-20 mm in length with 12-20 mm long and 4-6 mm wide. 4-14 flowers Glume Each spikelet has an enclosing glume that exceeds Glume on the outside of the spikelet which it in length remains on the plant after the seeds have ripened and fallen off Lemma The lemmas usually have straight, rough awns up Lemmas do not have awns to 15-20 mm long, but are occasionally awnless Flowering June to September May to August period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Italian rye-grass Common couch Species Lolium multiflorum Elymus repens

Status

Distribution Introduced plant used in agricultural grass leys. Widespread throughout British Isles but sparse in Scattered throughout British Isles northwest Scotland Lifecycle Annual or perennial Perennial

Size Up to 100 cm Up to 120 cm

Growth habit Loosely tufted with only one stem Robust, tufted, spreading by rhizomes and forming large patches Ligule Up to 2 mm long with auricles Short, <1 mm long. Pointed short auricles

Leaves Leaves rolled along long axis when young 3-10 mm wide, flat, usually sparsely hairy above

Flowers/ Inflorescence consists of a spike up to 30 cm. Inflorescence are slender and erect up to 20 cm. inflorescence Spikelets are stalkless and 7-20 mm long with Spikelets are stalkless and 10-20 mm. The spikelets 11-22 flowers overlap each other and are at 90 degrees to the stem in two opposite rows either side of the stem Glume Glume on the outside of the spikelet which Awnless glumes (rarely may have an awn) are remains on the plant after the seeds have ripened pointed with 3-7 veins and fallen off Lemma Lemmas have awns Lemmas 6-12 mm with or without an awn

Flowering June to August June to August period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Barren brome Giant brome Species Bromus sterilis Anisantha diandra

Status Local

Distribution Common in central and southern lowland Britain Scattered across the British Isles and becoming on waste ground and grasslands. Is a prolific weed more common of arable land and gardens Lifecycle Annual Annual

Size Up to 90 cm Up to 80 cm

Growth habit Robust Robust

Ligule 2-4 mm long, rounded, often with a ragged end Blunt, up to 6 mm long

Leaves Long, flat leaves, 2-7 mm wide with finely pointed 4-8 mm wide, up to 20 cm long. Both leaf and stem ends. Leaves may be hairless or shortly hairy and are softly and densely hairy rough. Sheaths hairy Flowers/ Drooping flowerhead, with pendant spikelets Much branched with erect, long-stalked spikelets inflorescence when mature. Spikelets are borne individually approximately 3-4 cm long. The spikelets are on long branching stems. Spikelets are oblong in rectangular and laterally compressed shape, becoming wedge-shaped over time and are 20-43 mm in length. Each spikelet contains 4-12 flowers, of which 2-4 are sterile Glume Unequal, narrow-lanceolate

Lemma 13 – 23 mm with awns 15 – 35 mm long 20-36 mm with awns 25-60 mm long

Flowering May - August May to July period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Rye brome Field brome Species Bromus secalinus Bromus arvensis

Status Vulnerable Near Threatened

Distribution Scattered throughout southern Britain. It can Very scattered in central and south Britain, occur in large patches, and is more common than extremely sporadic elsewhere the closely related field brome Lifecycle Annual Annual

Size Up to 100 cm Up to 100 cm

Growth habit Robust Robust

Ligule Blunt, up to 4 mm long Blunt, up to 4 mm long

Leaves 5 mm wide, up to 20 cm long. Both leaf and stem 5 mm wide, up to 20 cm long. Both leaf and stem are softly and densely hairy are softly and densely hairy Flowers/ Much branched inflorescence and a long-stalked Much branched with drooping, long-stalked oval- inflorescence spikelets approximately 1.5 cm long by 4 mm wide shaped and slightly laterally compressed spikelets. with anthers up to 1 mm long. The spikelets are The spikelets are 1.5 cm long by 4 mm wide with oval and slightly laterally compressed anthers up to 5 mm long Glume

Lemma 6.5 – 9 mm with inrolled edges with straight, rough Less than 6.5 mm long with inrolled edges and has awn up to 1 cm long. The inrolled lemma prevents a rough, straight awn up to 1 cm long the seeds shedding once they are developed and the spikelets remain on the plants much longer than other bromes Flowering June to August June to July period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Soft-brome Interrupted brome Species Bromus hordeaceus Bromus interruptus

Status Extinct but reintroduced to a handful of sites

Distribution Widespread throughout the British Isles Was formerly found in scattered sties through central-southern England and East Anglia. Lifecycle Annual or biennial Annual

Size Up to 80 cm Up to 100 cm

Growth habit Loosely tufted or solitary Robust

Ligule Blunt, toothed up to 2.5 mm long Blunt up to 4 mm long

Leaves 2-7 mm wide, flat, softly hairy Up to 20 cm long and 5 mm wide, both leaf and stem are softly and densely hairy Flowers/ Greyish green or purplish, spikelets 12-22 mm, Branched with very short-stalked spikelets in inflorescence narrowly ovate, softly hairy clusters of three. The spikelets are oval and slightly laterally compressed approximately 1-1.7 cm Glume Lower glume 3-7 veined, upper 5-7 veined

Lemma 8-11 mm with a pale margin. The lemma overlap The lemma has a rough, straight awn up to 8 mm in and are rounded with 7-9 veins and a 5-10 mm length awn Flowering May to August May-June period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Rat’s-tail fescue Squirreltail fescue Species Vulpia myuros Vulpia bromoides

Status

Distribution Throughout British Isles but frequent only in Throughout British Isles, but most common England and Wales in the south Lifecycle Annual Annual

Size Up to 70 cm Up to 60 cm

Growth habit Densely tufted or solitary Loosely tufted or solitary or erect

Ligule Up to 1 mm, membranous Up to 0.5 mm, membranous

Leaves Short inrolled leaves when dry, upper leaf sheath Short inrolled leaves when dry, upper sheath not reaching base of inflorescence inflated, ending well below the inflorescence Flowers/ 5-30 cm long, slender, nodding. Spikelets 7-10 mm 1-10 cm, green-purplish, becoming inflorescence straw-coloured. Spikelets 7-14 mm Glume Upper glume 3-8 mm and 3-4 times as long as Upper glume 6-10 mm less than 2 times as long as lower glume lower Lemma 5-7 mm with awns up to 15 mm 5-7 mm with awns up to 13 mm

Flowering May - July May - July period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Onion couch (False oat-grass) Nit-grass Species Arrhenatherum elatius var. bulbosum Gastridium ventricosum

Status Nationally Scarce

Distribution Common throughout the British Isles Formerly widespread in the south and east of England. Now occurs in one location in Hampshire and in set-aside land in Dorset and Somerset Lifecycle Perennial Annual

Size Up to 180 cm Up to 50 cm

Growth habit Tall, erect, loosely tufted. It has 6-10 mm bulb-like Erect grass that usually grows in tufts swellings at the base of the flowering stem Ligule 1-3 mm long, membranous Short ligule

Leaves 4-10 mm wide, long, flat, fine-pointed, usually Up to 10 cm long by 4 mm in width, but are usually sparsely hairy above smaller Flowers/ 10-30 cm long, green-purplish, shining, branches A compact terminal spike which is spear-shaped inflorescence clustered. Spikelets are 7-11 mm long and have and tapers to a point two flowers each Glume

Lemma 8-10 mm with a 10-20 mm bent awn arising one Usually have a bent awn up to 4 mm in length third way up the surface Flowering June – September June-August period

Illustrations by evansgraphic.co.uk ©Plantlife ARABLE PLANT CRIB Grasses

Plant Dense silky-bent Loose silky-bent Species Apera interrupta Apera spica-venti

Status Nationally Scarce Near Threatened

Distribution Locally frequent in Norfolk and Suffolk, Frequent on sandy soils around London, in East particularly in Breckland, with a few sites in Anglia, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire Lifecycle Annual Annual

Size Up to 70 cm in arable although usually much Up to 1 m shorter Growth habit Erect Erect, with either solitary or multiple stems

Ligule Long pointed ligule up to 5 mm long Up to 1 cm long

Leaves Up to 10 cm long by 4 mm wide. The leaf sheaths Up to 20 cm long by 10 mm wide and often rough are green or purple, largely hairless to the touch. Hairless leaves and stems with green and purple sheaths Flowers/ Loose interrupted spike with stalkless branches. Very finely branched and widely spreading up to inflorescence Each spikelet has a very long, straight awn 20 cm long by 15 cm wide. Each spikelet has a long straight awn Glume

Lemma

Flowering June - July May – September period

Plant Sweet vernal-grass Annual vernal-grass Species Anthoxanthum odoratum Anthoxanthum aristatum

Status Near Threatened

Distribution Common throughout the British Isles Formerly present in scattered sites in Surrey and East Anglia, now occurs as a rare casual of cultivated ground and waste places and may be extinct in the wild Lifecycle Perennial Annual

Size Up to 50 cm 10 -40 cm

Growth habit Erect, tufted Solitary but sometimes multiple stems

Ligule Blunt membrane 1-5.5 mm Pointed membrane 1.5-3 mm

Leaves 1.5 -5 mm wide, flat, finely pointed, thinly hairy, 2-4 mm wide and up to 5 cm long. Usually hairless, sheaths with conspicuous ring of hairs at junction although, there are tufts of long hairs where they with blade meet the stems. Flowers/ Dense spike-like fluorescence turning from green Spikelets with long conspicuous bent awns inflorescence to yellow as the seeds mature gathered into a pale green terminal spike Glume

Lemma Sterile lemma with a straight awn on the lower Sterile lemma with a straight awn on the lower lemma and a bent awn on the upper lemma lemma and a bent awn on the upper lemma Flowering April - August May - August period

Plant Rough meadow-grass Smooth meadow-grass Species Poa trivialis Poa pratensis

Status

Distribution Common throughout the British Isles Common throughout the British Isles

Lifecycle Perennial Perennial

Size Up to 1 m Up to 1.9 m

Growth habit Loosely tufted, with stolons Tufted, rhizomatous

Ligule 4-10 mm long pointed ligule on leaves on the Short, blunt to 3 mm flowering stems Leaves 1.5-6 mm wide, sheaths rough 2-4 mm wide, hooded at apex, sheaths smooth

Flowers/ Up to 20 cm with 3-7 branches from each. 2-20 cm long with 3-5 branches at each node. Each inflorescence Spikelets have 2-4 flowers spikelet has 2-5 flowers Glume

Lemma 2.5-3.8 mm, 5 veined 3-4 mm

Flowering May - August May – July period

Plant Annual meadow-grass Species Poa annua

Status

Distribution Common throughout the British Isles

Lifecycle Annual

Size Up to 30 cm

Growth habit Tufted with stems prostrate to erect

Ligule 2-5 mm long

Leaves Pale green, 1-5 mm wide, hooded, often crinkled at edges Flowers/ Triangular, 1-2 branches at each node, branches inflorescence becoming deflexed after flowering Glume

Lemma 2.5-3.8 mm, 5 veined

Flowering All year round period