Lolium perenne
Plants long-lived perennials. Culms to 100 cm. Leaves folded in the bud; blades usually 10-30 cm long, (1)2-4(6) mm wide. Spikes 3-30 cm, with 5-37 spikelets; rachises 0.5-2.5 mm thick at the nodes, often flexuous. Spikelets 5-22 mm long, 1-7 mm wide, with (2)5-9(10) florets. Glumes 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. Caryopses 3-5.5 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, 3 or more times longer than wide. 2n = 14.
Distribution
N.Dak., Nebr., Conn., N.J., N.Y., Wash., Va., W.Va., Mich., Del., D.C., Wis., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wyo., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Md., Mass., Maine, N.H., R.I., Vt., Fla., N.Mex., Tex., La., Tenn., N.C., S.C., Pa., Alta., B.C., Greenland, Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), N.S., N.W.T., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Okla., Calif., Alaska, Puerto Rico, Colo., Ala., Ark., Kans., Mo., S.Dak., Ill., Ga., Ind., Iowa, Ariz., Ohio, Utah, Minn., Nev., Miss., Ky.
Discussion
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.
Selected References
None.