Lolium perenne
Lolium multiflorum
English ryegrass, ivraie vivace, perennial rye grass, Ray-grass anglais
annual ryegrass, Italian rye grass, ivraie multiflore, perennial ryegrass, Ray-grass d'italie
to 100 cm.
to 150 cm.
folded in the bud;
blades usually 10-30 cm long, (1)2-4(6) mm wide.
rolled in the bud;
blades usually 10-30 cm long, (2)3-8 (13) mm wide.
3-30 cm, with 5-37 spikelets;
rachises 0.5-2.5 mm thick at the nodes, often flexuous.
15-45 cm, with 5-38 spikelets;
rachises 0.8-2 mm thick at the nodes, not flexuous.
5-22 mm long, 1-7 mm wide, with (2)5-9(10) florets.
8-31 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, with (10)11-22 florets.
3.5-15 mm, (1/3) 1/2 - 3/4 as long as to slightly exceeding the distal florets, membranous to indurate;
lemmas 3.5-9 mm long, 0.8-2 mm wide, unawned or awned, awns to about 8 mm, attached 0.2-0.7 mm below the apices;
paleas shorter than to slightly longer than the lemmas;
anthers 2-4.2 mm.
5-18 mm, 1/4-1/2 as long as the florets, membranous to indurate;
lemmas 4-8.2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, usually awned, awns to 15 mm, attached 0.2-0.7 mm below the apices, rarely unawned;
paleas shorter than to slightly longer than the lemmas;
anthers (2.5)3-4.5(5) mm.
3-5.5 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, 3 or more times longer than wide.
2.5-4 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, 3 or more times longer than wide.
= 14.
= 14.
Lolium perenne
Lolium multiflorum
Lolium perenne, a Eurasian species, is now established in disturbed areas throughout much of the Flora region. It is commercially important, being included in lawn seed mixtures as well as being used for forage and erosion prevention.
Lolium perenne intergrades and is interfertile with L. multiflorum; it also intergrades with L. rigidum. Typical L. perenne differs from L. multiflorum in being a shorter, longer-lived perennial with narrower leaves that are folded, rather than rolled, in the bud. Hybrids between the two species are called Lolium xhybridum Hausskn.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Lolium multiflorum, a European species, now grows in most of the Flora region. It is planted as a cover crop, as a temporary lawn grass, for roadside restoration, and for soil or forage enrichment; it often escapes from cultivation, becoming established in disturbed sites.
Lolium multiflorum and L. perenne are interfertile and intergrade. Lolium multiflorum differs from L. perenne in being a taller, shorter-lived perennial or annual with wider leaves that are rolled, rather than folded, in the bud. Hybrids between the two species are called Lolium xhybridum Hausskn. Lolium multiflorum also hybridizes with L. rigidum; those hybrids are called Lolium xhubbardii Jansen & Wacht. ex B.K. Simon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
- Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
