Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium multiflorum
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Italian Ryegrass is distinctive in its slender, long inflorescence in which the spikelets are oriented such that one edge hugs the stem. Spikelets are compressed laterally, have 10-22 florets, and have awns up to 15 mm. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of Virginia (Weakley, Ludwig & Townsend, 2012)
Lolium perenne var. aristatum
INCLUDED WITHIN Poaceae: Festuca: Fescue, Rye Grass (Smith & Aikin, 2012)
Festuca perennis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum
INCLUDED WITHIN Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Lolium perenne
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-19-002:
Lolium multiflorum FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lolium multiflorum
COMMON NAME:
Italian Ryegrass, Annual Ryegrass
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_lomu_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_lomu_002_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm0405z_20
May Greenville County SC
Field
Florets 11-22 per spikelet, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Keith Bradley kab_l_perenne_arista_9148
November Berkeley County SC
At least upper lemmas awned (awns to 15mm long), per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium multiflorum
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of Virginia (Weakley, Ludwig & Townsend, 2012)
Lolium perenne var. aristatum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Poaceae: Festuca: Fescue, Rye Grass (Smith & Aikin, 2012)
Festuca perennis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Lolium perenne
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-19-002:
Lolium multiflorum
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Lolium multiflorum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lolium multiflorum
859
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Eurasia
Common (uncommon in GA Mountains & GA Piedmont)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Inflorescence a panicle
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Grain reddish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".