Yorkshire Fog - introduced (*Holcus lanatus)

Native to Europe, north Africa and Asia. Perennial. C3.

It is a very common weed, particularly on disturbed ground, usually growing with other weeds.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Other names: Fog Grass.

Identification

• the flower cluster is a soft grey colour; it is dense at first but soon opens out
• the glumes are longer than the lemmas
• the spikelets have a fertile and sterile lemma
• the upper male lemmas have a short curved awn to 2mm long
• the leaves are flat and softly hairy
• the ligules are membranous, 1-3mm long.

It is an environmental weed.

holkus: sorghum (Greek); lanatus: woolly or cottony.