Grasses Flashcards
Perennial ryegrass comprises how much of nz’s new pasture sowings? what sort of fertility does it require? What type of drought tolerance does it have?
- 90%
- require high fertility
- has moderate drought tolerance
How do you identify the leaf blade of a perennial ryegrass?
- corrugated ribs on upper-surface
- deep v shaped groove at mid rib
- bottom of leaf is shiny
how does the leaf emerge? and how is this different to italian ryegrass?
- emerges folded
- italian= emerges rolled
what colour is usually present at the sheath base of perennial ryegrass?
red
Perennial rye grass auricles?
small or may be absent
what is the shape/ arrangement of the perennial ryegrass seed head?
- spikelets of 4-8 florets (seeds) arranged alternatively along an unbranched stem (spike)
what is the defining difference between the seed head of the perennial rye grass and the italian rye grass?
the italian rye grass has awns on the tips of the seed lemmas, the perennial doesn’t
how long do pastures of the italian rye grass persist? and when do they show high growth rates? whats it nutrition value like?
- 1-2 years
- winter
- good
how do you identify the leaf of a tall fescue?
- dark green with distinct, coarse ribs and glossy underneath
- leaves harsh to touch due to fine silica teeth
why is tall fescue sensitive to harsh grazing?
cos it has a large tiller size
where is tall fescue generally found?
- lowland pastures and wet area
- wide spread along roadside
describe the tall fescue seed head
- pinnacle
- 5-15 spikelets each carrying 3-10 florets
Cocksfoot is found in what fertility and environments
medium fertility
laxly grazed environments
how do you identify cocksfoot
- bluish green colour
- tiller strongly flattened with leaves sharply folded
- large “sydney opera house”ligule
- hairless with no ribs on lamina
how do you identify the seed head of cocksfoot?
seed-head is a compacted panicle with spikelets crowded into dense one-sided clusters at the end of short branches.
