Selected Common Grasses of Humboldt County A Guide for Identification of Grasses with Their Associated Forage Values This booklet has been provided by the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District, with support from the Humboldt County Headwaters Fund. Partners in development of this booklet include USDA – NRCS, and University of California Cooperative Extension. This booklet is designed to help agricultural producers with identification of common grasses in pastures or rangeland settings. It is not intended to be inclusive of all grass species found in Humboldt County. Grasses can be very difficult and challenging to identify, but don’t despair! If you need assistance identifying grasses you encounter on your farm or ranch, you can contact: UCCE Humboldt 707-445-7351 Humboldt County Resource Conservation District 707-786-9766 NRCS Eureka Field Office 707-444-9708 May 2015 Created by F. Tjarnstrom, HCRCD and J. Stackhouse, UCCE Graphic design by Carson Park Design Printed on recycled paper Tjarnstrom, F. and J. Stackhouse. 2015. Selected Common Grasses of Humboldt County: A Guide for Identification of Grasses with Their Associated Forage Values. Eureka, California. General Grass Plant Structure INFLORESCENCE STEM LEAF FIBROUS ROOT SYSTEM 1 Aegilops cylindrica jointed goatgrass FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 20 inches tall Little to no value at all stages. www.carpathianbasinspecies.eu Agrostis stolonifera creeping bentgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, rhizomatous, forms sod; grows to 5 Good to Fair feet tall Good to Fair Fair to Poor © 2015 Donald Cameron 2 Aira caryophyllea silver hairgrass FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 10 inches tall Little to no value at all stages. Trevor James Alopecurus geniculatus marsh or water foxtail FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Fair Fair Poor Max Licher 3 Anthoxanthum odoratum sweet vernalgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 24 inches Little to no value at tall all stages. © 2010 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ © 2011–2015 Malcolm Storey Arrhenatherum elatius tall oatgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 6.5 feet tall Fair Fair Poor © 2003 Craig Smith 4 © 2008 Sean B. Smith Avena barbata slender oat FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 4 feet tall Good Good Poor © 2010 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ © 2004 Carol W. Witham Avena fatua wild oat FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 4.5 feet tall Excellent Excellent Fair to Poor Max Licher 5 Briza maxima quaking grass or rattlesnake grass FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 32 inches tall Little to no value at all stages. Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary’s College Bromus carinatus California brome FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 4 feet tall Excellent Excellent Poor © 2012 Jean Pawek 6 Bromus catharticus rescue grass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 6.5 feet tall Good Good Poor © 2010 Steven Thorsted © 2010 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Bromus diandrus ripgut brome FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped) or solitary; grows to 36 Excellent inches tall Excellent Poor Sheldon Navie Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary’s College 7 Bromus hordeaceus (aka B. mollis) soft brome FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped) or solitary; grows to 32 Excellent inches tall Excellent Good to Fair © 2007 Luigi Rignanese www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ © 2006 Luigi Rignanese Bromus inermis smooth brome FORAGE VALUE Perennial, rhizomatous, forms sod; grows to 4 feet Excellent tall Excellent Fair to Poor S. Reynolds, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China. 8 Bromus tectorum cheatgrass FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped) or solitary; grows to 3 Good to Fair feet tall Good to Fair Poor Cassondra Skinner. Hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Calamagrostis canadensis bluejoint FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped) with creeping Good to Fair rhizomes; grows to 4.5 feet tall Good to Fair Fair to Poor Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service (retired) www.bugwood.org 9 Calamagrostis rubescens pine reedgrass or pinegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped) rhizomatous; Fair grows to 44 inches tall Fair Poor Dave Powell www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/ © 2008 Steve Matson Cynodon dactylon bermudagrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, rhizomatous and stoloniferous, Good forms mats; grows to 20 inches tall Good to Fair Poor © 2011 Barry Breckling 10 © 2014 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Cynosurus cristatus crested dogstail grass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 32 inches Little to no value at tall all stages. © 2010 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Cynosurus echinatus bristly dogstail grass FORAGE VALUE Annual, tufted (clumped); grows to 28 inches tall Little to no value at all stages. © 2011 Jean Pawek © 2013 Barry Breckling 11 www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Dactylis glomerata orchardgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 4 feet tall Excellent Excellent Good to Fair © 2011 Barry Breckling www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ © 2011 Eric Wrubel/NPS Danthonia californica California oatgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Excellent Excellent Fair © 2007 Steve Watson 12 Deschampsia cespitosa tufted hairgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 4 feet tall Excellent Good Fair © 2011 Margo Bors © 2003 Steve Matson Deschampsia elongata slender hairgrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Good to Fair Good to Fair Fair © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 13 Elymus elymoides squirreltail FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 24 inches tall Fair Fair Poor © 1995 Saint Mary’s College © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Elymus glaucus blue wildrye FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 5 feet tall Good Good Poor © 2007 Steve Watson 14 Festuca arundinacea tall fescue FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped) sometimes Good rhizomatous; grows to 5 feet tall Good Fair © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ © 2008 Steve Matson Festuca californica California fescue FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 5 feet tall Good Fair Poor © 2010 Robert Steers/NPS © 2008 Keir Morse 15 www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Festuca idahoensis Idaho fescue FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Excellent Excellent Fair © 2005 Steve Matson Festuca occidentalis western fescue FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 32 inches Excellent tall Excellent Fair © 2011 Steve Watson 16 Festuca perennis Italian ryegrass FORAGE VALUE Annual sometimes perennial, tufted (clumped); Excellent grows to 40 inches tall Excellent Good to Fair © 2011 Zoya Akulova © 2013 Zoya Akulova www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ Glyceria striata [aka: G. elata] fowl mannagrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 5 feet tall Good Good Fair © 2006 Louis M. Landry © 2008 Keir Morse 17 www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Holcus lanatus velvet grass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Fair Fair Poor © 2008 Steve Matson © 2002 Steve Matson Hordeum brachyantherum meadow barley FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 40 inches tall Good Good Poor © 2005 Steve Matson 18 © 2010 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Hordeum jubatum foxtail barley FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 30 inches Little to no value at tall all stages. Mary Winter © 2009 Barry Rice www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Koeleria macrantha prairie Junegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 24 inches Excellent tall Excellent Good to Fair © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ 19 Lolium perenne perennial ryegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 40 inches Excellent tall Excellent Good www.cienciaysalud.laverdad.es © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Melica bulbosa oniongrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Excellent Excellent Good © 2005 Steve Matson 20 Nassella pulchra purple needlegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 3.5 feet tall Good Good Fair awns can cause injuries © 2006 Steve Matson © 2006 Brent Miller www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Phalaris aquatica Harding grass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped) with short rhizomes; Good grows to 6.5 feet tall Good Fair © 2004 George W. Hartwell © 2001 CDFA 21 Phalaris arundinacea reed canary grass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, rhizomatous; grows to 7 feet tall Good to Fair Good to Fair Fair © 2009 Barry Rice www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Phleum pratense timothy FORAGE VALUE Perennial, tufted (clumped); grows to 4 feet Excellent to tall Good Excellent to Good Fair Fair © 2009 Russ Kleinman 22 © 2002 Steve Matson Poa bulbosa bulbous bluegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, forms sod; grows to 24 inches tall Good Good Poor © 2006 Greta Murdoff © 2008 Keir Morse www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass FORAGE VALUE Perennial, rhizomatous, forms sod; grows to 3.5 Good feet tall Good Fair © 2013 Jean Pawek © 2008 Keir Morse 23 www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Poa secunda Sandberg