Gramineae - grass family

Gerald A. Mulligan (Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, retired) 1600 Apeldoorn Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2C1V5 Click here to go to Weed Photos for this family Most grasses have inconspicuous flowers that produce wind-blown pollen that can cause hay fever in some people Avena fatua L., wild oats, folle avione Annual, spreading by seeds; flowering stems 2 to 4 feet (6 to 12 dm.) high; throughout, but most common in the grain fields of the mid-west; grain fields, roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe and Asia. A troublesome weed in grain fields. Bromus inermis Leyss., smooth brome, brome inerme Perennial, with creeping rootstocks; flowering stems 2 to 4 feet (6 to 12 dm.) high; common in the mid-west, occasional elsewhere; roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe as a hay and pasture crop. Bromus tectorum L., downy brome, brome des toits Annual or winter annual, reproducing by seeds; flowering stems usually less than 2 feet (6 dm.) high; throughout, but most common in the drier areas of the mid-west and west; overgrazed rangeland, abandoned farmland, around farm and ranch buildings, railway beds, roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe. Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Muhl., smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente Annual, reproducing by seeds; usually semi-prostrate; flowering stems 3 to 18 inches (8 to 45 cm.) long; throughout, but most common from southern Quebec and Ontario, southward into the United States; lawns, gardens, roadsides, pastures, and waste places; introduced from Europe. A troublesome weed in lawns. Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., large crab grass, digitaire sanguine Annual, reproducing by seeds; flowering stems 20 to 40 inches (5 to 10 dm.) long; throughout, but most common in southern Ontario and Quebec and southward into the United States; row crops, vegetable and flower gardens, roadsides and waste places; introduced from Europe. Does not seem able to compete with sod-forming grasses. Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) P.Beauv., barnyard grass, échinochloa pied-de-coq Annual, reproducing by seeds; stems 1 to 4 feet (3 to 12 dm.) long; eastern half of our area; cultivated fields, gardens, barnyards, ditches, riverbanks, roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe. Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex B.D.Jacks. [ =Agropyron repens (L.) P.Beauv.], quack grass, chiendent commun Perennial, spreading by seeds and vigorous underground rootstocks; flowering stems 1 to 4 feet (3 to 12 dm.) high; a common and persistent weed throughout; grasslands, cultivated fields, gardens, roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe. Hordeum jubatum L., foxtail barley, orge queue-d’écureuil Perennial, spreading by seeds; flowering stems 1 to 2 feet (3 to 6 dm.) high; throughout, but less common east of the Great Lakes; meadows, lawns, ocean shores, dry saline depressions, roadsides, and waste places; native to North America. A very common fringe plant along roadsides in some areas. Lolium persicum Boiss. & Hohen. ex Boiss., Persian darnel, ivraie de Perse Annual, spreading by seeds; stems 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm.) high; mainly weedy in fields of commercial grasses being grown for seed purposes in the mid-west; introduced from Asia. Panicum capillare L., witch grass, panic capillaire Annual, spreading by seeds; stems 3 inches to 3 feet (8 cm. to 9 dm.) high; throughout, but most troublesome in southern Quebec and Ontario, and southward into the United States; shores of rivers and lakes, cultivated fields, gardens, roadsides, and waste places; native to North America. Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (=Phragmites communis Trin.), common reed, roseau commun A tall grass, growing to a height of 18 feet (6 meters). Some populations are native to this Continent, whereas others were introduced from Eurasia. It is a sporadic plant of both natural and artificially disturbed moist habitats throughout our area. Since it is a self-incompatible species, some isolated clones do not produce viable seed. However, these “sterile” clones can still form large genetically uniform, monotypic patches by the horizontal extension of their vigorous underground rhizomes. Common reed is often very invasive, sometimes out-competing all other vegetation. Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv., green foxtail, sétaire verte Annual, reproducing by seeds; flowering stems from 3 inches to 3 feet (8 cm. to 9 dm.) long; throughout; grain fields, gardens, roadsides, and waste places; introduced from Europe. Click on a photo to view an enlarged image. Weed Name Photo Weed Name Photo wild oats, folle avione wild oats, folle avione wild oats, folle avione (germinating seedlings, FF) wild oats, folle avione (NC) smooth brome, brome inerme downy brome, brome des toits downy brome, brome des toits (seedling) smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente (herbarium specimen) smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente (vegetative) smooth crab grass, digitaire astringente large crab grass, digitaire sanguine barnyard grass, échinochloa pied-de-coq barnyard grass, échinochloa pied-de-coq barnyard grass, échinochloa pied-de-coq barnyard grass, échinochloa pied-de-coq quack grass, chiendent commun quack grass, chiendent commun quack grass, chiendent commun (herbarium plant with rhizomes) quack grass, chiendent commun (fruiting spike) quack grass, chiendent commun (germinating seedlings, FF) quack grass, chiendent commun (NC) foxtail barley, orge queue-d’écureuil foxtail barley, orge queue-d’écureuil (germinating seedlings, FF) foxtail barley, orge queue-d’écureuil (NC) Persian darnel, ivraie de Perse Persian darnel, ivraie de Perse (seedlings, FF) witch grass, panic capillaire witch grass, panic capillaire (herbarium specimen) witch grass, panic capillaire (seedlings) witch grass, panic capillaire (in roadside ditch) witch grass, panic capillaire (inflorescences, in nature) witch grass, panic capillaire (inflorescence, pressed) green foxtail, sétaire verte green foxtail, sétaire verte green foxtail, sétaire verte (germinating seedlings, FF) green foxtail, sétaire verte (NC)