Plant of the Month: March, 1998

by Russell Stevens

Ryegrass
Lolium perenne

Characteristics: Introduced, cool season, annual grass that is adapted to a wide variety of sites. May act as a weak perennial in the southern portions of its range.

Area of Importance: Southcentral Oklahoma and Texas.

Attributes: Productive winter forage for livestock. Responds well to fertility and is often used for overseeding bermudagrass pastures. Is moderately used by turkey, deer, and other wildlife.

Problems: Has been known to contain compounds that cause poor reproduction in game birds. Can become a "weed" in small grain fields managed to be monocultures.

I.D. Tip: In late spring, ryegrass has an unbranched seedhead with groups of seeds arranged in a zig-zag pattern on the main stem.

Hundreds of plants are identified in the Noble Foundation Plant Image Gallery.