Scientific Name:
Lolium perenne
Pronunciation:
LOW-lee-um per-EN-ee
Common Name:
perennial ryegrass
Family Name:
Poaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Poales (grass-like)
Key ID Features:
Bunching-tufted habit, no rhizomes or stolons; leaf vernation folded, blade v-shaped in cs, keeled, 2-5mm wide, heavily veined and dull above, underside smooth and very glossy, tapering to a sharp and long pointed tip, margin smooth; auricles small, rounded; ligule 0.5-1.5mm, toothed near tip; sheath smooth, glossy, and usually reddish at base; stem flattened. Field ID terms: shiny, glossy, folded, pointy-boat, ridged top.
Habit:
Arching
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa, Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Landscape Uses:
Golf green
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Grass-like
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Parallel venation
Surfaces:
Shapes:
Linear
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Additional Info:
Leaves folded in the bud
Inflorescence Type:
Spikelet, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Yellow, Green
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
Spikelets flattened with 6 to 10 overlapping florets, alternating on a common axis.
Fruit Type:
Grain (caryopsis)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
6-9mm long; lemma square at apex; awns absent; rachilla flat and wide; 500 grains per gram
Bark or Stem Colour:
