Apera spica-venti
Culms 20-80(120) cm, stout, usually with several shoots, sparingly branched; internodes shorter or longer than the sheaths. Sheaths often purplish; ligules 3-6(12) mm; blades usually 6-16(25) cm long, 2-5(10) mm wide, flat. Panicles (5)10-35 cm long, (2)3-15 cm wide, usually open, pyramidal; branches spreading, naked at the base for 5+ mm, with spikelets usually borne towards the distal ends; pedicels 1-3 mm. Spikelets 2.4-3.2 mm, often purplish; rachillas prolonged for about 0.5 mm. Lower glumes 1.5-2.5 mm; upper glumes 2.4-3.2 mm; lemmas 1.6-3 mm, folded, scabridulous above midlength, awned, awns 5-12 mm; anthers 1-2 mm, greenish to yellowish, often purple-tinged. Caryopses 1-1.5 mm. 2n = 14.
Discussion
Apera spica-venti grows as a weed in lawns, waste places, grain fields, sandy ground, and roadsides. Introduced from Europe, it is found in scattered locations in the Flora region.
Selected References
None.