Scientific Family
Poaceae
Synonyms
Shedonorus arundinaceus, Lolium arundinaceum
Plant type
Grasses
Riparian
Yes
Grass Description
Origin
Introduced
Season
Cool
Warm
Found in disturbed sites and along stream banks.
Plant Community
Disturbed Areas
Riparian
Low elevation
3000
High elevation
6500
General Description
An introduced, quite variable rhizomatous perennial with stout, erect stems. Dark green leaves are flat, long and narrow with pointed tips.
Perennial grass to 3 feet or more; leaf blade with prominent claw-like or clasping hairy auricles; seedhead erect or nodding, branches dense and contracted to open and spreading; lemmas about 1/2 inch long, rarely short-awned, minutely hairy.
Grass type
Perennial bunchgrass
Rhizomes
Yes
Stolons
No
Clump Diameter 2 ft or more
No
Bushy - highly branched
No
Height with Seedheads
Greater than 36 inches
Seedhead Structure
Branched - open and spreading
Seedhead droops
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
October
Flower Characteristics
Flowers per Spikelet
Multi-flowered
Spikelets One-Sided
No
Awns
Less than 1/4 inch
Three Awns
No
Awns bent
No
Flower and Seedhead Notes
Seedheads spikelike, 4 to 14 inches long, 2 branches per node; spikelets of 3 to 10 flowered, laterally compressed; lemma awns absent or to 1/4 inch.
Vegetative Characteristics
Blade is hairy
Yes
Blade margins white
No
Blade cross-section
Convolute - rolled up longitudinally
Blades convolute in young shoots; 8 to 16 inches long, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide, at least 1 or 2 hairs along the margins.
Sheath is hairy
No
Tufts of hair top of sheath or collar
No
Ligule
Membranous
Auricles
Yes
Unknown.