Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum aristatum
flouve odorante, foin d'odeur, large sweet grass, sweet vernal grass, vernal sweetgrass
annual vernal grass, awn vernalgrass, vernalgrass
(10) 25-60(100) cm, erect, simple or sparingly branched.
5-60 cm, often geniculate at the base, freely branched.
(3) 4-14 cm, the spikelets congested;
lowermost branches 10-25 mm;
pedicels 0.5-1 mm, pubescent.
1-4 cm;
lowermost branches 8-12(15) mm;
pedicels 0.1-0.3 mm, pubescent.
6-10 mm;
lower glumes 3-4 mm;
upper glumes 8-10 mm;
sterile florets 3-4 mm, awn of the first floret 2-4 mm, awn of the second floret 4-9 mm, equaling or only slightly exceeding the upper glumes;
bisexual florets 1-2.5 mm;
anthers 2, (2.9)3.5-4.8(5.5) mm.
(4)5-9 mm;
lower glumes 3-5 mm;
upper glumes 5-7 mm;
sterile florets about 3 mm, awn of the first floret 3.5-5 mm, awn of the second floret 6-10 mm, exceeding the upper glumes by 2-3 mm;
fertile florets about 2 mm;
anthers 2, 2.8-4.1 mm.
0.5-1 mm, pilose-ciliate, sometimes absent;
ligules 2-7 mm, truncate;
blades 1-31 cm long, 3-10 mm wide.
to 0.5 mm, sometimes absent;
ligules 1-2(3) mm, obtuse to acute;
blades 0.8-6 cm long, 1-5 mm wide.
= 10,20.
= 10, 20,
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum aristatum
Anthoxanthum odoratum is native to southern Europe. In the Flora region, it grows in meadows, pastures, grassy beaches, old hay fields, waste places, and openings in coniferous forests, occasionally in dense shade or as a weed in lawns. It is most abundant on the western and eastern sides of the continent, and is almost absent from the central region. In southern British Columbia, it is rapidly invading the moss-covered bedrock of coastal bluffs, and will soon exclude many native species. Diploids (In = 10) have been referred to A. odoratum subsp. alpinum (Á. Löve & D. Love) Hulten. Because the two ploidy levels can be distinguished only through cytological examination (Hedberg 1990), the two subspecies are not recognized here.
Anthoxanthum odoratum was often included in hay and pasture mixes to give fragrance to the hay, but this practice is waning. The aroma is released upon wilting or drying. By itself, the species is unpalatable because of the bitter-tasting coumarin.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Anthoxanthum aristatum is native to Europe. It is now established but not common in the Flora region, being found in mesic to dry, open, disturbed habitats of western and eastern North America. North American plants belong to Anthoxanthum aristatum Boiss. subsp. aristatum, which differs from Anthoxanthum aristatum subsp. macranthum Valdes in having well-exserted awns and deeply bifid, sterile lemmas.
Hitchcock (1951) stated that another annual species of Anthoxanthum, A. gracile Biv., is occasionally cultivated for dry bouquets, but it does not appear to be widely available at present. It differs from A. aristatum in having longer (10-12 mm) spikelets and simple or sparingly branched culms.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
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OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
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WildflowerSearch
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- Local floras: OR, WA
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, IL Wildflowers, LA Plants, MI Flora,
MN Wildflowers, PNW Herbaria - WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
