Squirrel-tail Fescue - introduced (*Vulpia bromoides)

Native to Europe. Annual. C3.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

A common weed in disturbed areas and in disturbed forests.

Identification:

• it is a slender grass
• the flowers form a narrow one-sided, contracted cluster
• the 1st glume about half the length of the 2nd glume
• the spikelets are 4-10 flowered, much exceeding the glumes
• the lemmas taper into a long (over 1cm) awn; the awns are rough to touch
• the flower cluster is well clear from the leaves
• the leaves are usually rolled
• the ligule is membranous and 0.2-0.5mm long.

As the flower ages the lemmas with awns fall separately. In good conditions it can grow to half a metre, but is usually much less.

It is an environmental weed.

Vulpia: in honour of J.S. Vulpias, 1760-1840, a German Chemist; bromoides: resembling the grass Bromus.

---