Holcus lanatus L.

Global description

Holcus lanatus is a grass growing in dense clumps, which measures between 30 and 110 cm high. The stems, first prostrate are quickly erect. The plant is entirely hairy. Sheath of leaves is very long and closed on the stem. The ligule is membranous. The leaves have a flat and narrow leaf blade and are equipped with soft finely woolly hairs. The leaves are relatively broad at the base and pointed at the apex. The inflorescence forms a white rose pyramid that spread in a pyramidal way at the time of flowering, and remains contracted and cylindrical before and after flowering.
 
First leaves

The prefoliation is rolled. Sheath and leaf blade are grayish green in colour, with dense soft pubescence. The ligule is membranous.

General habit
 
Tufted grass, entirely pubescent, 30-110 cm high. It does not emit rhizome.
 
Underground system
 
The roots are densely fibrous. Adventitious roots are formed from the lower nodes of the plant.
 
Culm

The culm of the grass is erect and geniculate, 20 to 70 cm high. Cylindrical, green and sparsely covered with silky silvery hairs. Swollen nodes and pubescent.
 
Leaf

The leaves are alternate, with very long sheath, slightly swollen and softly pubescent. In the upper part of the plant, the sheaths are whitish or pinkish and are ornated with longitudinal pink or purple stripes. Ligule membranous, 1 to 4 mm high, with entire, serrated and sometimes slightly laciniate apex. Lamina leveled, highly keeled, of linear shape, acuminate at the top, 8 to 15 cm long and 4 to 8 mm wide. Faces softly pubescent (finely woolly hairs).
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is a terminal panicle, lanceolate to ovate, 8 to 15 cm long. Wide open at the time of flowering, contracted the rest of the time.
 
Spikelet

The spikelets are oval to elliptical, 4 to 6 mm long and 2 mm wide. Glumes lanceolate, 3.5 to 4 mm long, bristling with soft hairs on the keel and veins. The glumes enclose two thorny flowers. The internal flowers are hermaphrodite and the external is male. Lemmas without spines, paleas terminated by a spine of 2 mm long that curves in dry weather.
 
Grain

The grain is oblong to elliptic, 1.5 to 2.5 mm long, with a convex dorsal side and narrow groove on the ventral side, pale brown to yellowish in color.

Origin

Holcus lanatus is native to western Europe and the Mediterranean basin.

Worldwide distribution

This species is widely distributed in all temperate and tropical regions of altitude, in North, Central and South America, in South Africa, in the Indian Ocean (Reunion, Mauritius), in the west of China. , in Australia and New Zealand.

https://www.gbif.org/species/2706164