Photo © Carl Farmer |
Frequent in rough grassland, by the shore, and as a garden weed. Spikelets c 10-18 mm long. Skye ID: Spikelets alternating up the axis and broadside-on to it. Lowest lemmas protrude past tip of glumes. Lemmas usually not awned, if awned then awn not as long as lemma. (If awns between 7-10 mm long, could be either this or Bearded Couch, but most unlikely to find either of them with awns in that range). Glumes pointed, not having a notably blunt look as in Sand Couch. Spikelets overlapping the next one up on the same side. Leaves with scattered, not dense, white hairs (or occasionally no hairs) Other features: Spreads by rhizomes which form new plants from tiny pieces when broken up in the garden. 3-8 florets per spikelet. Hybridises with Sand Couch. Spikelets do not break up when ripe, whereas those of Bearded Couch break up between each lemma. |
