 Photo ©
Carl Farmer |
Common on roadsides and rough ground Spikelets c 8-12 mm long. Plant up to 50 cm high. Skye ID: Spikelets alternating up the axis, with only one glume except for the terminal spikelet which has two. Nearly always lacks awns, whereas L multiflorum nearly always has them. However to be absolutely sure, check whether the young leaves are folded (L multiflorum) or rolled (L perenne) as they emerge from the sheath. Other features: Perennial, often tufted. Spikelets typically have 8-11 florets. Their inner edge fits into a hollow in the axis instead of having a glume on that side. Leaves up to 6 mm wide. Ligule very short and squared-off, c 1 mm high. This grass is native but various cultivated strains of it are often sown. It can hybridise in the wild with L multiflorum, and there are also hybrid cultivars. |
