Orchard grass

Images

Click on image to view full size

Orchard grass

Orchard grass anthers

Orchard grass

Orchard grass ligule

Orchard grass inflorescence

Orchard grass

Morphology

Culm

Erect, hallow, smooth.

Blades

Flat or folded, 3-17 inches long, less than 1/2 inch wide, mid-vein conspicuous beneath, rough on surfaces and margins when mature; tips tapered to points.

Sheath

Closed toward bases, glabrous; margins overlapping and fused.

Ligule

Membranous, irregularly cut or torn.

Inflorescence

Panicles, 2-8 inches long; major branches few.

Spikelets

In crowded 1-sided clusters, on short stalks, 2-6-flowered, oblong, around 1/4 inch long, pale green to purplish; glumes and lemmas pointed or with short awns.

Ecology

Habitat

Fields, meadows, pastures, woodlands, lawns, and waste areas.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

It was cultivated as a pasture and hay grass and provides good forage for livestock and deer.

Additional Notes