Stink grass

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Stink grass spikelets

Stink grass

Stink grass spikelets

Stink grass

Stink grass

Stink grass collar/ligule

Stink grass

Stink grass

Morphology

Culm

Ascending, often sharply bent below, much-branched at base, hollow, glabrous, ring of glands below nodes.

Blades

Flat to somewhat inward rolled, 2-10 inches long, less than 1/4 inch wide, light green to grayish green, glabrous below, rough above, wart-like glands on margins and often midribs.

Sheath

Shorter than internodes, glabrous, collar often with hairs.

Ligule

Fringes of short hairs.

Inflorescence

Panicles, dense, erect, 2-6 inches long, .5 to 3.5 inch wide, gray-green to tan; branches ascending, bearing spikelets nearly to bases.

Spikelets

Numerous, oblong, .25 to .75 inch long, less than 1/6 inch wide, very flat, mostly 5-35-flowered; awns absent; glumes narrow, unequal, drop early; lemmas closely overlapping, tips rounded.

Ecology

Habitat

Waste areas, roadsides, lawns, and fields.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

It is thought to be poisonous to livestock (particularly horses) when grazed in large quantities. Cattle avoid it.

Forage Value

Stinkgrass is weedy and has only minimal forage value.

Additional Notes